Isaiah 5 - 8 (10th July) - Benjamin

In Isaiah 5, we are reminded of what we ought to do and ought not to do. Yet again, we see the results of doing things against God’s ways. God will punish His people accordingly. Reflect upon the things you do, ask for wisdom to distinguish between good and evil. Do not even attempt to deceive yourself at any point of time that it is ok to do this and that once in a while if you know His laws. Else all we can say is ‘God bless u’.

In Isaiah 6, it is the climax of the first major section of his prophecies. In v 1-4, he sees the Lord in all his glory; in v 5-7, he then sees himself in all his uncleanness; in v 8-13, the prophet, now cleansed and forgiven, sees the rebellious people to whom God is sending him to proclaim the divine message of judgment. We see that even a great man of God like Isaiah recognizes that the things he said are sinful, what more about people like you and I? Thus, we must be watchful of the words we speak since words are powerful. You never know how your ‘innocent’ words might impact the person receiving them.

In Isaiah 7 and 8, it simply tells us that ‘if the Lord is for us, who can be against us?’. It is a promise that God has made to us and all we have to do to claim this promise is to make Him the centre of our life. Isn’t that easy? Once again, the fear of God is mentioned. It is absolutely critical that we live with this holy fear within us. Are there areas in your life that you choose not to live with this fear but with the fear of the secular, perhaps fear of how others judge you; fear of failures? Cast onto the Lord all these fears and ask Him to teach you to live day-by-day with the Holy fear of Him and you will see your life transformed into something better than before.

Isaiah 1 - 4 (9th July) - Crystal

Isaiah 1 – 4

The book of Isaiah looks into the failures of the nations. In chapter 1, it speaks about the rebellion of the nation. The nation turned away from God and sinned against God . In verse 11 "The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.” When your heart is harden that turned against God’s word and his commands, no matter what offerings you give to God, God will turn away from you. Verse 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood;” Even the most righteous nation will have a chance to fall away from God if the people did not keep His words. Be careful of the lies of the evil one and guard your heart against sin. Do not try even try going near things or places that will lead you to sin.

Isaiah had a vision from God; it shows that God is bringing peace and judgment over the nations. After which, the nations will walk in the light. Particularly in chapter 2:8 “Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.” It does not only talk about physical idols that people worship but also different “things” that we worship. Some might worship a mentor, a love one, or even money. Take time to reflect on what has been the priority of your life today. Has God’s place been taken over?

The ending part of chapter 3 caught my attention. It says 16 The LORD says, "The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles.”Although I do not know what exactly has been describe, but definitely it is not something that pleases the Lord. Girls let’s guard speech and lifestyle. I am sure you would not want to be bald and stink but a woman that reflects God’s love.

2 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 26 (8th July) - Crystal

2 Kings 15

In this chapter, there are multiples of kings who reign over Israel and Judah. However, there were only two righteous kings who did right in God's eyes. As for the other kings (mainly those who reign over Israel) sinned against God and it lead to further destruction of the people in Israel. v9

As we obey and follow the leaders' commands. Do keep them in prayers too. Once the fall of the leadership, the people fall too. Right now, as you are reading, take some time to ask God for protection over the leadership over the church, pastor Lawrence, pastor Fei Fei and your own cell leader.

As you read on, the kings of Israel who reigned have a harden heart. Each of them overthrown the current king with conspiracy and eventually lead to murdering. This had a great impact to the next generation. A generation cursed. Therefore, we should always identify a curse (if there is) and break them in the name of Jesus. We will be a generation that will stand in the gap between God and man. Keep on praying till you see a revival in your family, your marketplace. The victory is yours to claim!

2 Chronicles 26

This chapter elaborates on Uzziah King of Judah. In the verse 5 He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success. This shows that as the fear of the Lord is in us and when we sought the Lord, God will bring us success. Do not be over dependent on human efforts.

However, when Uzziah became powerful and famous, pride got the better of him. verse 16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Not only did he had a downfall, he rage in God's temple. The act of stubbornness had led to leprosy till his death, Do not wait until every fibre of pride has been broken, when every human plan backfired then turn to God. (sounds familar?) As the chinese saying goes 驕 兵必敗. As you move on progressively with your studies or in the marketplace. remember the one who gave you success and walked with you.

PS: have you been reading the stones cry out! booklet? Don't just read but apply them into your life! =)

Jonah 1 - 4 (7th July) - Alvin & Stephanie

In Chapter 1, we see the disobedience of Jonah when God commissioned him to preach against Nineveh, but he took a boat heading towards Tarshish in the opposite direction of Nineveh instead. Jonah tried to run away from God but little did he realized that nobody could ever run away from the Almighty God.

Jonah set sail on a ship where the sailors were Gentiles. A storm arose and there was nothing the sailors could do to calm the storm. Then they heard that Jonah served the Almighty God, and prayed to Him before they threw Jonah overboard. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord, made vows to Him and the Lord saved the pagan sailors from being shipwrecked.

So, Jonah has failed to hide from God and the Lord rescued disobedient Jonah from drowning after he was thrown overboard by the sailors by the timely arrival of a huge fish. The great fish swallowed Jonah and Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17).
Interestingly, how God always have His own ways of bringing us to our senses. Just as Jonah thought that by leaving the country he was able to get away from God. But our God is inescapable (Jer 23:23-24).

In today’s context, some people may try to do a similar act as Jonah did - for e.g. by staying away from church, and avoiding the company of Christians, without full realization that there is no way we are able to hide from God.

In Chapter 2, Jonah called out to the Lord and prayed, acknowledging God’s grace upon His life. Then like the sailors, Jonah offered a sacrifice to the Lord with a song of thanks and promised to fulfill his vow. So the fish vomited Jonah onto the dry land and Jonah made his way to Nineveh.

This is very much like our Christian lives. We disobey God and go our own ways, but God’s grace is always there. He allows us to make huge detours, but He will eventually lead us back to the perfect path and plan that He has prepared for us. If you notice, the beginning of Chapter 1 and 3 is the same, so if Jonah had been obedient from the onset, there will not be a need for a chapter two actually!!

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord this time round and went to Nineveh to deliver the message of the Lord. The people in Nineveh heard God’s word through Jonah, believed him and responded to God’s message. The king of Nineveh also heard the message and repented. “Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish” (Jonah 3:8b-9).

God saw what Nineveh did and He had compassion on them. He told Jonah He wouldn’t destroy Nineveh. The Lord saved the repentant Nineveh.

Jonah was angry that God did not bring upon Nineveh the destruction he had threatened. Jonah felt that he made the trip for nothing and he spoke his mind to God about this. We see here that Jonah has no doubt been obedient to God but in his obedience, he has no compassion for people within his heart. The Lord in return asked Jonah, “Have you any right to be angry?” (Have we obeyed God many times but carry a cold spirit within us, without having that compassion in us to serve that we ought to have or rather that God also desires for us to have while He Himself is a compassionate God? The attitude we carry with our actions is just as important as the action itself).

Jonah found a place to sit overlooking Nineveh, and watched to see what would happen. The place where he sat was uncomfortable. In a lot of discomfort, Jonah really appreciated a vine that grew and shaded over his head. But the next morning, the vine was gone and the sun was hot. Jonah became angry again and wanted to die. God pointed out to him that he cared more for the fate of the vine than for the people of Nineveh.

This 4th Chapter records Jonah’s disappointment, but more importantly God’s disappointment with Jonah. Jonah was willing to do what God wanted him to do but Jonah wanted to deny God’s right to forgive Nineveh. Jonah said he would rather die than see the Ninevites live (Jonah 4:3). He could grieve over the withering of the gourd, just because it had given him shelter but he was not at all grieved at the possible destruction of the Ninevites.

2 Kings 14, 2 Chronicles 25 (6th July) - Weiling

Most of today’s writings happen around Amaziah, son of Joash King of Judah. We see in the beginning that he “did right in the sight of the Lord” but “yet not like David” (the man after God’s heart who has now been used as the official measurement!) or in other words, “yet not with a whole heart”. We see that in 1 Kings 14: 4 that the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Remove the High places. Seek complete and total obedience.
What is it about the “high places” that we keep reading about in association with whether the kings worship them or not? “High places” are places of worship. We see in 1 King 3: 2 that people still sacrifice at high places because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord. However, Solomon had built that temple for God already and people were supposed to worship there instead. Thus, “high places” here have a significance of not following all the way or with a whole heart. We still worship, but at where we choose, sometimes out of convenience.

Check: Many of us do things that are right. We go for service, we may even be serving. But is it going all the way, doing your best for the Lord? Is it with zeal and joy? Are we doing the “right thing” His way or our way? Pause and let the Holy Spirit speak to you. Does He have your “whole heart”? If not, let Him tell you why.

100 talents of silver – Obedience with a price
In 2 Chron 25, we see that God told Amaziah not to go to war with the 100,000 troops he hired from Israel with 100 talents of silver because “God is not with Israel”. The challenge: Is Amaziah’s trust in the 100,000 valiant warriors or in God? Will he be willing to forsake the 100 talents of silver [a lot of money!!] and see it go to waste to obey God? Sometimes God’s instruction seems to ask us to defy reasoning and we see things seemingly “go to waste”, but do you trust that His thoughts and ways are higher than us? Do you trust your heavenly Father?

Check: Today seek complete obedience, even at a cost of apparent waste, inconvenience… ask God what is that “100 talents of silver” (or it may not cost you that much) in your life? “The Lord has much more to give you than this”. God has the power to help and bring down.

Further to Amaziah’s story, I see God’s compassion for the sufferings of His people in Jeroboam’s story. (2 Kings 14: 24-29) We have read enough to see that God would often send His prophets that He would punish them if they do not repent of their sins. Now, Jeroboam, King of Israel, is a man who did evil in the sight of God. I would have expected him to be punished, but he was an unlikely candidate that God used to save the people of Israel. All because God “had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them”. God “saved them by the hand of Jeroboam”.

Are you suffering, going through a tough time? Don’t feel alone and forgotten. Just as God had seen how the suffering of Israel, He sees your pain. God will deliver you.

2 Kings 12 - 13, 2 Chronicles 24 (5th July)

2 Kings 12
Joash was king and he reign over 40 years. He did what was right in the eyes of God (v1,2). Joash ordered the priest to take all the collected money to repair the temple. It was not done so until Joash questioned the priest again on the 23rd year of his reigned. All the money was paid to the workmen and materials for the repair of the temple of the Lord.

2 Kings 13
On the 23rd year of King Joash reigned in Judah, Jehoahaz became king of Israel. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord (v1,2). He later sought God’s favor and God delivered them, but still sin (v4-6). After 17 years of Jehoahaz reigns, Jehoash succeeded him as king over Israel. He also did what is evil in the eyes of God (v11).

When Elisha was old and suffering from illness, King Jehoash visited him. Elisha asked Jehoash to shoot the arrow out of the window and Elisha proclaimed “The Lord’s Arrow of Victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Then Elisha asked Jehoash to strike the arrows on the ground and Jehoash only struck 3 times and Elisha was angry with him because he should strike more times to see Aram completely be destroyed. So Jehoash only defeated Aram 3 times but not completely destroyed.

One great miracle happened in verse 21, when they threw a dead body into Elisha’s tomb and when the body touched Elisha’s bone, the man came to life. The power and anointing of God on Elisha was so powerful even up to his death.

God was gracious to the Israelites and had compassion and show concern for them because of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (v23).

2 Chronicles 24
It is the same in 2 Kings 12 and 13, except in this chapter, verse 17 onwards, it shared about the wickedness of Judah and they forsaken the Lord.

2 Kings 9 - 11 (4th July)

2 Kings 9
Elisha summoned a prophet to anoint Jehu as king over Israel and it was so. As he became king, he was to destroy the house of Ahad and Jezebel. v14-29, Jehu killed Joram and Ahaziah. Joram was shot by an arrow that pierced through his heart. v30-37, Jezebel was killed by being pushed down from the window.

2 Kings 10
Jehu went around to kill the families and relatives that related to Ahad. Jehu also gathered all the people who worship Baal including the ministers and priests that worship Baal to gather at Baal’s temple. Jehu deceived them in order to destroy everyone that worshipped Baal and he managed to destroy them all and the temple of Baal. Jehu reigned over Israel for 28 years.

2 Kings 11
Joash was stolen to hide away from Athaliah. So Joash was saved from being killed like the rest of the princes. Later part, Jehoiada, the priest, sent command to protect the king even on Sabbath day. When Athalih was killed, there was rejoicing and peace in the city v20. Joash became king when he was 7 years old.

2 Kings 5 - 8 (3rd July) - Sylvia

2 Kings 5
Naaman wants to be cured of his leprosy and looks for Elisha. Initially, he expected some kind of big hoo-ha, waving of hands etc and he would be cured instantly thus he was angry when Elisha told him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan river. His arrogance almost cost him. Thank God for His grace and mercy, that his servant pleaded with him to at least give it a try.

Lesson learnt: 100% Man, 100% God. It takes effort on our part and our belief that we will be healed. We can't expect God to do everything when we do nothing.

Gehazi, Elisha's servant gets greedy and tries to cheat Naaman of the reward that he has tried to give Elisha. Thus, he gets cursed with Naaman's leprosy.

Let's not be greedy. We bless others and serve not for rewards but to show others what God's love, grace and mercy is all about. Earthly riches pale in comparison to the treasure God has stored for us in heaven.

2 Kings 6
Arameans tries to attack Israel. Again, God's hand is always upon Israel. When Arameansa tries to capture Elisha to stop him from warning the King of Israel about his attacks, his plans backfires. God struck the enemy blind and they get captured by the king of Israel. v8-20

Elisha shows mercy for those who had been instructed to kill him, sparing thier lives and even giving orders for food and drink to be served to them. This amplifies the love of God and even the enemy is overcomed- they stopped attacking Israel.

Ben-Hadad laid a seige on Samaria again which caused severe famine and inflation. It got so bad to the point when people started eating other people's children. The king was certain that the seige was a disaster brought upon by God that he refused to trust in Him any longer and wanted to kill Elisha

2 Kings 7
Elisha prophecises that the famine will be over and inflation reversed. True enough, when four lepers went to the camp of Arameans, they found it abandoned. (God has caused them to heard the sound of chariors and horses and a great army, so they fled thinking that the Hittite and Egyptian kings had been hired to attack them.) The king did not believe it initially and sent servants to check it out. But because the officer whom the king had put i charge of the gate laughed at Elisha's prophecy, he did not live to eat and enjoy the plunder.

2 Kings 8
Ben-Hadad sends Hazael to consult Elisha about the king's illness. Elisha prophesises that the king will not survive, and Hazael will become the new king and slaughter the Israelites. Hazael is shocked, and questions how he could become king (despite Elijah already having anointed him as the next king of Aram, some while ago), but when he returns, he lies to Ben-hadad and says that Elisha had prophesied a recovery. The next day, Hazael smothers the king to death with a water soaked cloth, and becomes king in his place.

2 Kings 1 - 4 (2nd July) - Sylvia

2 Kings 1
Ahaziah injures himself after a fall and seeks advice from an idol- Baal-Zebub. This displeases the Lord thus He sent an angel to tell Elijah to warn Ahaziah about his death. Ahaziah sends captains to fetch Eljah. The first two, were not respectful towards God's anointed and thus were struck down and consumed by fire. (v9-12) The third one however, recgonised a man of God and pleaded for his life, thus he was spared.

As God had spoken, Ahaziah died and was succeeded by Joram.

2 Kings 2
Elijah was raptured and taken up to heaven in front of Elisha. Elisha inherits a double portion of Elijah's spirit because he asked by faith and it was given. v9-12

Elisha performs miracles in the name of the Lord (healing the water) v19-22

Those who make fun and disrespect God's people will be cursed. God's hand is upon His anointed.

2 Kings 3
Even though Joram had gotten rid of the idols of Baal, he still continued sinning. Nevertheless, God continued to be with the Israelites - providing for their needs and giving them victory over Moab.

2 Kings 4
By faith and through the Holy spirit, Elisha continued to show many signs and wonders of God, from overflowing the little bit of oil to mulitiplying scarce food to bringing the dead back to life.

Ask and you shall be given =) Lets ask God for Agape love and compassion and allow us to be a blessing to others.

Obadiah 1, Psalms 82 - 83 (1st July) - Kelvin

Obadiah 1:

In this book, Obadiah (which means servant of the Lord) prophesized against Esau(Edom). Basically,Its theme is that Edom, proud over her own security, has gloated over Israel’s devastation by foreign powers. However, Edom’s participation in that disaster will bring on God’s wrath. She herself will be destroyed, but Mount Zion and Israel will be delivered, and God’s kingdom will triumph. I guess the lesson learnt for us here would be never to mock others when times are no good for them but rather we should be more than ready to sympathise them.
Psalm 82-83:

In these 2 chapters, they are the psalm of Asaph. I see it as a prayer to God to rescue His people from the evildoers who are plotting against them. The enemies were described as being very strong and powerful, but the prayer was for God to judge them and help them overcome the enemies of their time so that all will know that theirs is a God the Most High.

2 Chronicles 19 - 23 (30th June) - Li Juan

2 Chronicles 19-23

Like the leaders and judges in Jerusalem and Judah, we need to learn to be just and partial as well. Jehoshaphat appointed judges in each city in Judah. He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict.

Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.” Also, serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord, not to sin against the Lord for that will incur his wrath. Many times we can be struggling as the world haunts us with its seemingly harmless beliefs. However, we need to stand firm with what our God says, act with courage and God will be with us!

Then, the Moabites and Ammonites came to attack Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah came to inquire of the Lord together as they have no power to face this vast army before them. God said to them, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

Similarly, throughout this 100K campaign, Satan will send out his army of fear, discouragement, insecurity and doubt, we have to always keep in mind that the battle is not ours, but God’s, and the battle is already won! We just have to act out in faith and claim these answered prayers, and see miracles happening after miracles!

After Jehoshaphat passed away, Jehoram and Ahaziah ruled as kings of Judah one after another and both do evil in the eyes of the Lord. After Ahaziah died, his mother, Athaliah destroyed the whole royal family of the house of Judah, but Joash, Ahaziah’s son was saved by his auntie, Jehosheba. When Joash grew up, his uncle, Jehoiada ordered all the priests and Levites to protect him. Then, Jehoiada brought Joash out, crowned and anointed him. Athaliah who was supposedly reigning was seized and slain by the sword. The temple of the Baal was tore down, the altars and idols were smashed, the priest of Baal was killed.

2 Chronicles 18, 1 Kings 22 (29th June) - Sylvia

Jehoshaphat was a man of God who walked in His ways, thus his life was blessed in many ways. Ahah, on the other hand was a king who disobeyed God and did evil deeds. God was very displeased and sent a lying spirit to place lies in false prophets, to lure him into going to war with Ramoth Gilead, giving him false hope that he would succeed.
Ahab listened to what was good to his ears, no matter how Jehoshapat tried to get him to seek a TRUE prophet of God.

As Micaiah spoke God's words and told Ahab what he saw, his words were rejected and Ahab even threw him into prision. As the Lord had declared, Ahab got killed during war and his blood licked by dogs, the same way which he had caused Naboth's death.

As for Jehoshapat who went to war with him, he was saved and his life spared because he had cried out to God.

Have we done evil in God's sight? Has God spoken and yet we decide to ignore His words and do what pleases us?

Lets humble ourselves and cry out to our Lord that He may shower His grace and mercy upon us, sparing our lives.

1 Kings 20 - 21 (28th June) - Xiao Woon

1 Kings 20

King Ben-hadad of Aram demanded for King Ahab’s silver and gold, wife and children. King Ahab agreed but after that Ben-hadad asked for more. He asked to take away everything Ahab consider valuable. He refused to accept Ben-hadad’s last demand and Ben-hadad wanted to attack the city.

Ahab was told by God that the enemy forces will be handed to him and that he will win them. He mustered the troops and attacked the Aramean army first as the Lord said and he won. However, that’s not the end. A prophet told him to get ready for another attack by Ben-hadad next spring.

Ben-hadad’s officers thought that God is a God of hills, not the plains. So, to prove them wrong, God gave them victory over the vast army though they look only like two little flocks of goats. Ben-hadad ran and hid in a secret room. Ben-hadad’s officers humbled themselves and wore sackcloths and surrendered to the king of Israel so that Ben-hadad may live. The king of Israel called for Ben-hadad and he made a treaty with Ben-hadad and set him free.

A prophet condemns Ahab

A prophet placed a bandage over his eyes to disguise himself and then waited beside the road for the king. When the king passed by, he told the king that he was told to guard a prisoner and if he gets away, then he’ll either die or pay a fine. The prisoner disappeared and when the king heard this, he said that the prophet deserved it. The prophet took off the bandage and the king recognized him. The prophet told him that because he spared the man that must be destroyed, he must die in his place. So the king of Israel went home to Samaria angry and sullen.

God really keeps to His promises. It just hit me that EACH and EVERY time the Lord says beforehand that He’ll deliver whatever country to whoever, He really will bring it to pass, unless He wants them to learn something else. God sees everything. He knows and tests our hearts. He used the prophet to test the king. Let us be aware of our hearts and let us not harden our hearts to the things or people around us, but to be watching so that we may always bless others.

1 Kings 21

Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. Ahab wanted to buy it over to use as a vegetable garden but Naboth said the Lord forbid that he should give Ahab the inheritance that was passed down by his ancestors. Ahab went back angry and when the wife found out, she wrote letters, commanding the citizens to fast and pray and then get 2 scoundrels to curse Naboth and to stone him to death. After Naboth died, Ahab immediately went down to claim the vineyard. The Lord then sent Elijah to tell Ahab that because he did evil in the sight of the Lord, God will bring disaster to him and consume him. When Ahab heard that he tore his clothing, wore sackcloth, even slept in it and went into deep mourning. The Lord then said that because he has humbled himself before the Lord, God will not do what He promised but that it will happen to his sons, and his dynasty.

Sometimes our own deep desires will lead us to the wrong things. So we must be careful what our desires are and we must align them to God’s desires. That’s where God will bless. When we want something so much, we may end up doing things to get what we ourselves want and God will not stop us because He gave us the free will to make our own choices. It is only when after that we have to bear the consequences of not aligning our desires with the Lord’s. But see that as long as we humble ourselves before the Lord, He is always ready to forgive us. I remember Jackie Pullinger said that God is ALWAYS ready to forgive us even BEFORE we asked Him for forgivenesss. Thank God for His mercy=)

1 Kings 17 - 19 (27th June) - Karen

The story of Elijah 1 Kings 17 – 19

In Chapter 17 we gain insights on how God works.

1. God provides in ways we least expect (Vs. 10)
- He fed Elijah by the ravens and through the widow.

2. Every miracle begins with an act of obedience (Vs. 13-16)
- The widow thought it was her last meal she was preparing before she died.
- She trusted Elijah and gave all she had to eat to him
- Faith is the first step she took

3. Depend on God, Not His works
- The famine was terrible, but the worst was yet to come for the Widow, her son died some time later
- Sometimes even when God has done a miracle in our lives, our troubles may not be over.
- God’s providence is never given in order for us to rest upon it
- We need to depend on Him as new trial faces us.

As Elijah’s journey continues we see in Chapter 18 how Elijah challenged the people to take a stand. Why did so many people waver between the two choices – to follow the Lord or Baal?

1. Making a stand for God
- If we drift along with whatever is pleasant and easy, we will someday discover that we have been worshiping a false god.

2. In today’s context, false god represents things that we depend on other than God.
- It could be Power, Status, Appearance or Material Possessions.
- We can devote our lives to them, but when we reach times of crisis, they cannot offer true answers, guidance or wisdom. (Vs. 29)

In Chapter 19 we read about Elijah fleeing to Mount Horeb from Queen Jezebel. Having experienced two great spiritual victories, Elijah now had to flee for his life. Feeling all alone and discouraged, he fell into depression and discouragement. God led him out of his depression by first letting him Rest and Eat. God then spoke to Elijah in a gentle whisper about returning to his mission – to speak God’s words in Israel.

1. God has work for us to do even when we feel fear and failure
2. God always has more resources and people than we know about
3. Although we might wish to do miracles for God, we should instead focus on developing a relationship with Him. The real miracle of Elijah’s life was his very personal relationship with God…And that miracle is available to us.

1 Kings 15:25 - 16:34, 2 Chronicles 17 (26th June) - Joshua

God Establishes.

This 2 segments of passage document the brief history of the lives of kings of Israel and Judah during the warring period after the death of Solomon.

In the reign of Asa, as king of Judah, that was 6 kings that became King over Israel. The surprising long establishing of Asa compared to the frequent changes of kings in Israel was intriguing.

A read about Asa's life shows this interesting difference : "Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done" (1 Kings 15:11)
The rest of the kings have this interesting similarity : " He did evil in the eyes of the LORD" OR " all the sins (He) had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord."

In this warring state of Israel and Judah's history, a time where every king is faced with threats and uncertainty. But God establish the ways of the man who chooses to do what is right before Him. "Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life." - 15:14

2 Chronicles 13 - 16; 1 Kings 15: 1-24 (25th June) - Sky

2 Chronicles 13
Abijah, a new king reigned in Judah. This chapter not only speaks how he reigned as King. But even when Abijah did not serve the Lord wholeheartly, He trust God and was a lamp in Jerusalem.

Abijah was the descendent of David, Solomon and Rehoboam. And what was interesting in this chapter was:

V5 Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendents forever by a covenant of salt

Salt is a valued preservative. This phrase suggests that the promise like other things salted would be preserved because GOD’s promise to David was everlasting.

Isn’t our life with Christ, his promises, his blessings and victory is forever by a covenant of salt?

2 Chronicles 14
Asa descendant of Abijah is another King who lived right in the eyes of the Lord our God. Destroying idols, and obeying the Lord’s laws and commands. This chapter not only shows how much Asa was blessed but also the power of the Lord.

Asa was blessed with peace and rest, but when he was invaded, he humbled himself in V11 relying on God and calling onto the Lord for victory. And of course they won.

2 Fact always remains in life and that is
1) We will always need to rely on the Lord
2) We win in HIS name

2 Chronicles 15
Asa continued being a King right for the Lord, removing all the detestable idols and repairing the alter of the Lord.

The nation was plunged into idolatry and had neglected the worship of the Lord. Asa saw that a heartfelt revival was needed. Although the covenant Israel had made with God at Sinai had already been renewed several times as the nation recommitted itself to the Lord.

Asa even deposed of his grandmother from her position as queen mother as she made a Asherah pole. He cut it down and burns it outside the City in Kidron Valley. Asa lived obediently righteously in his years of kingship and no war came upon him until the 35th year.

2 Chronicles 16
In this chapter teaches a valuable lesson. For most of his life, Asa was good but at the near of his life he did not finish well.

Not seeking and relying God for that victory, he took silver and gold from the Lord’s temple. Not even relying God for healing of his disease but only seek physicians. He died and rested with his Fathers.

Someone who lived life righteously for the Lord did not end well. Rejected God’s word, refused to seek God’s help in times of national and personal crisis. Maybe Asa grew complacent with all the blessings but should we?

Ask yourself how do u finish well for Christ? In your race, your goals and your life.

1 King 15:1-24
This chapter is a summary of Abijah and Asa, both kings of Judah, 1 finished well while the other didn’t.

And the next king to reign in Judah is Asa’s son Jehoshaphat.

2 Chronicles 10 - 12 (24th June) - Vivien

2 Chron 10 -11
As in the previous entry, we have seen the silly action of the king. God is always merciful. He considered the good things done by his forefathers and showed mercy to Rehoboam. Even though we can see that this king was not very wise in selective listening, he still obeyed God’s instruction. As for Jeroboam, God actually wanted to bless him with the 10 tribes, but he don’t know how to cherish it and turned away from God, so in the end the Israelites returned to support King Rehoboam.

Before Chapter 11 ended, there were 2 paragraphs about Rehoboam’s family. In verse 23, it says that Rehoboam acted wisely, dispersing his sons throughout the district and provided for his family abundantly and even took many wives for them. His grandfather, David, was a good at being king, but not a father. His father, Solomon, was good at being king too, but a womanizer, causing him to be far from God. For him, although at times, he didn’t make the wise choice as a king, I felt that he was a better father. He was careful with handling matters at home so that minimum jealousy would occur among his sons. And I believe that he has taken care of his family well.

2 Chron 12
Actually God wanted to abandon Rehoboam’s kingdom to Shishak, but because he humbled himself, it changed God’s mind! See once again how merciful is our Heavenly Father! And so after all, King Rehoboam is a good king and a good father who has successfully raised a successor that is faithful to God (2 Chron 13).

Humble yourself and surely God’s favour will be with you!

1 Kings 12 - 14 (23rd June) - Stephanie

1 Kings 12

The elders of Israel offered Rehoboam the throne of Israel as this was a logical continuation after David and Solomon. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, however, heard through a prophet earlier that he would rule over a portion of a divided Israel and he became interested in becoming Solomon’s successor.

Solomon was a great king in his time, but he took a lot from his people. The people of Israel wanted relief from the heavy taxation and forced service of Solomon’s reign and they offered allegiance to Rehoboam if he were to agree to lighten their yoke.

Rehoboam was wise to consult the elders who were with his father, Solomon when he was still alive. The elders told him to show kindness and a servant’s heart to his people so that they would love him and serve him forever. Their good advice, however, fell on deaf ears. (.. Bu ting lao ren yen, Chi kui zai yan qian…)

Silly Rehoboam eventually took the advice of his peers instead.

Frankly, this seems like a common phenomenon in today’s time, isn’t it? What we would usually call selective listening. The idea is to keep asking others for advice till we find someone who will tell us exactly what we want to hear and hope to do. Pause for a moment and consider this: “Have you recently ignored what your parents, spiritual leaders or trusted counselors have to say just because those were the words you don’t really wish to hear? Think again, have you truly considered if those words may be the very advice that is the most beneficial to you and your current situation at hand?”

Anyway, shortly after giving his silly answer to the people, his people decided to plan a rebel.

It was interesting to know that God had managed this whole series of events even when He did not make Rehoboam take this unwise and sinful action but He simply left Rehoboam to make the critical errors his sinful heart wanted to.

Rehoboam was then rejected as king over the ten northern tribes and in actual fact, his folly has made Israel reject not only him but the entire dynasty of David, the descendents of Israel’s greatest king. Rehoboam did not take the rebellions seriously and sent Adoram (some chap famous for being harsh with forced labor) in hope to make good his promise to punish those who opposed him. Unfortunately for Adoram, he kena and was stoned to death. Rehoboam’s tough guy policy apparently didn’t work out well.

A long-standing tension between the ten northern tribes and Judah/Benjamin then continued.

Jeroboam, on the other hand, built Shechem, dwelt there and move on to build Penuel. He needed a capital city because Jerusalem was in the territory of Judah and Benjamin. But Jeroboam held a fear in his heart that his people will turn back to Rehoboam to acknowledge him as king. He seemed to have forgotten the promise God made to him through the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11) and started to shape religion for his own purpose. When his people started to worship the golden calves he made, it became a terrible sin of idolatry.

1 Kings 13

A man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord when Jeroboam was standing by the altar burning incense. He made a remarkable prophecy that would be precisely fulfilled 340 years later. Later in 2 Kings 23:15, we can see the fulfillment of this prophecy in the days of Josiah, King of Judah.

Jeroboam’s immediate reaction was to silence the prophet rather than to respond to his message. The prophecy was like a coming judgment for Jeroboam, an implicit invitation to repentance and Jeroboam obviously did not accept this invitation. His hand, which he stretched out toward the man of God, withered and he could not pull it back to himself – 1 Kings 13:4. Jeroboam then pleaded with the man of God to entreat the favor of God upon him, to pray for him so that his hand may be restored and the man of God did so.

This chapter’s focus is on Jeroboam being an example of sinful failure. He failed despite great blessing and favour from God, for the sake of mere political advantage. He failed by leading an entire nation into idolatry. He failed despite specific warnings to repent, judgment and deliverance from that judgment. He failed despite a clear message and example of integrity.

“Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways…. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.” – 1 Kings 13:33-34

1 Kings 14

This chapter marks the end of both Jeroboam and Rehoboam.

The end of Jeroboam, King of Israel (Verses 1 to 20)

When Abijah, the son of Jeroboam became sick, his wife disguised herself and tried to seek counsel from the true God and men of God. Jeroboam knew that idols could not help him in any true crisis. He because he also knew that he had rejected God and his prophets, he told his wife to wear a disguise before meeting Ahijah.

When the wife met Ahijah, the prophet, there was actually no reason for her disguise because Ahijah could not even see. He was blind. His blindness however, did not really matter because God had told him the truth of the whole matter. Jeroboam’s wife learned of two things. First that the news was bad and second, that though she was sent to Ahijah by her husband, in truth Ahijah was sent by God with a message to her and Jeroboam.

Ahijah declares God’s judgment on the house of Jeroboam.

Jeroboam reigned only for twenty-two years before he died and was buried with his fathers.

The end of Rehoboam, King of Judah (Verses 21 to 29)

Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealously with their sins. These sins provoked the Lord because they were essentially sins of idolatry. Israel turned their back on the God who loved and redeemed them, and like an unfaithful spouse, they pursued spiritual adultery with idols. They were also perverted persons in the land. This specifically describes prostitutes associated with the worship of idols.

When Rehoboam died, he was buried with his fathers in the City of David.

Proverbs 30 - 31 (22nd June) - Vivien

Prov 30 (Winnie)

Who besides God can do all the amazing things all of the earth? No one can name.
Trust in the Lord and he will surely keep you.

Fear the Lord; do not claim of what is not true, for He is always right

Ask for forgiveness from the Lord till the day you return.

Continue to seek Lord’s help to keep away from the earthly pleasures; it’s harder for rich people to give their lives to Jesus, keep the way of life simple.

Do not backstab anyone, what goes around comes around.

There are still many Christians that do not honor their parents, those who do God’s work but not right with God, still many falls for lust when we were taught not to do so.

(Vivien)
Isn’t God amazing? His creations are so amazing that it is hard to explain how come they know how to behave?

I think the author of Proverbs 30, is upset with how messed up life can be. And our attitude should always be like the author in verse 7 to 9. We really need God’s help to watch over us and keep our ways pure and holy.

Proverbs 31 (Vivien)
Sayings of King Lemuel: Take care of the poor and needy. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves! I believe there are among us who are this type. Good job! Continue to defend the weak, although it might cause people to look at you differently in a negative way. But know that God is pleased. To the Ds among us, know your strengths and weaknesses and work on them. Just felt that God wants me to affirm the Ds among us. =)

The Wife of Noble Character: a MUST READ for all ladies! Hehe… Ladies bear in mind verse 30: Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Not easy, but possible!
Gentlemen, you all should read too to look for the right woman!

2 Chronicles 9, 1 Kings 10 - 11 (21st June) - Pamelia

2 Chronicles 9:8
The Lord yor God is great indeed! He delights in you and has placed you on the throne to rule for him. Because God loves Israel so much and desires this kingdom to last forever, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.

1 Kings 10:9
The Lord your God is great indeed! He delights in you and has placed you on the throne in Israel. Because the Lord loves Israel with an eternal love, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.

Queen Sheba came a long way to Jerusalem to have a taste of Solomon's wisdom, the gift that God has given to him. She bombarded him with all kinds of philosophical questions and riddles. It amazed me to read that Solomon answered every single question and riddle with such perfect wisdom from God! Compare the two verses: although it is the same story of Queen of Sheba and King Solomon's meeting, it emphasizes on the eternal love that God has for Israel. God's love for us is eternal, never-ending too!

The Lord loves each and every one of us so much, that He delights in us to honour Him in all that we do. In all that we do, let's pray for God to give us the wisdom that He gave Solomon (even 1% would do!) so that we may be able to make wise decisions to honour our Father.

Just for fun, let's check out some of the riddles and difficult questions that King Solomon might have answered, some really wowed me! (found on the internet)

Balkis: "What is evil?"
Solomon: "The eyes of the Lord in every place monitor good and evil, and in them is the definition."
Balkis: "Are the eyes or the ears superior?"
Solomon: "The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made both. Degrees of deafness and blindness, these are man's province, and measurable."
Balkis: "What is the most powerful organ of the body, Solomon?"
Solomon: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."
Balkis: "How are body and spirit connected?"
Solomon: "The baseness of spirits is derived from their bodies. The nobility of bodies is derived from their spirits."
Balkis: "What is it? An enclosure with ten doors; when one is open, nine are shut, and when nine are open, one is shut?"
Solomon: "The enclosure is the womb, and the ten doors are the ten orifices of man, namely his eyes, his ears, his nostrils, his mouth, the apertures for discharge of excreta and urine, and the navel. When the child is still in its mother's womb, the navel is open, but all the other apertures are shut, but when the child issues from the womb the navel is closed and the other orifices are open."
Balkis: "Seven leave and nine enter; two pour out the draught and only one drinks."
How did Solomon respond?
"Seven are the days of woman's menstruation, nine the months of her pregnancy; her two breasts nourish the child, and one drinks."

Other riddles concerned with common objects and materials.
At one point, Sheba asked, "What when alive does not move, yet when its head cut off, moves?"
Solomon's answer: "The timber used to build a ship."
Another riddle she proposed was: "It is many- headed. In a storm at sea it goes above us all, it raises a loud and bitter wailing and moaning; it bends its head like a reed, is the glory of the rich and the shame of the poor, it honors the dead and dishonors the living; it is a delight to the birds, but a sorrow to the fishes. What is it?"
Solomon replied, "Flax, for it makes sails for ships that moan in the storm. It provides fine linen for the rich and rags for the poor, a burial shroud for the dead, and a rope for hanging the living. As seed it nourishes the birds, and as a net it traps the fish."

Some of Sheba's questions were related to the Hebrew Bible. For example, "The dead lived, the grave moved, and the dead prayed. What is it?"
The answer: "The dead that lived and prayed was Jonah; the fish, the moving grave."
In one theological riddle, she asked: "What is the ugliest thing in the world, and what is the most beautiful? What is the most certain, and what is the most uncertain?"
Solomon replied, "The ugliest thing...is the faithful turning unfaithful; the most beautiful is the repentant sinner. The most certain is death; the most uncertain, one's share in the World to Come." (ps: my favourite words of wisdom)

Ecc 1-12 (19th, 20th June) - Li Juan

Ecclesiastes 1-12

Ecclesiastes is written by Solomon who has authority and power, and God blessed him with wisdom and many special encounters. He has everything that men desire. This book talks about how he sees life.

When you read the book, it might seem pessimistic and despairing at first, but “everything is meaningless” (which is repeatedly mentioned) actually refers to those who do not know God. A life without God and without understanding that God planned everything in our lives is meaningless. Searching for own pleasures, wealth and materialism are all foolish. There is practically nothing under the sun which can give us real happiness, not even achievements or wealth. Only a life which fears God can be full of joy. Our life, wisdom and abilities are all blessed by God.

In chapter 12, Solomon calls us to remember our Creator in the days of our youths, because decisions made in these days affect the future of our lives. Remembering our Creator also is for men to know that we are not our own Creator.

Only after we know God then can we understand that the world operates and functions according to His plans. If you have yet to give your life to God and accept Christ into your heart, do it now! If you have been struggling with your incapability and inadequacy, submit to Him today and you will find the peace deep within!

Solomon didn’t end on a negative note; he said clearly that whoever believes in God will have a hope. I do believe that. Do you?

Proverbs 27 - 29 (18th June) - Ivy

Don’t you just love proverbs? There are so many practical instructions from the Lord in how to live our lives!! To really be able to practice all is also not easy!

Proverbs 27

I just want to talk about a few verses that spoke to me.
Verse 5 Why is it better to receive rebuke rather than ‘hidden love’? I guess when there is rebuke, it is done to correct. There is an expression here. However the hidden love has no expression at all. So therefore it is better to receive rebuke from others than to continue doing the wrong things. Can you imagine if one has been doing the wrong things and no one bothers to correct him or her?

Verse19 is so beautiful.
As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.
God is not concern about your accomplishments or acquirements. He is interested in your heart. What is your heart condition today?

Proverbs 28

In this chapter, God teaches us His value on money and attitudes towards our money/riches.
6 Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.
It doesn’t mean that one must be poor to be Godly or cannot be rich. But God warns that it is better for one to be blameless than perverse. However, the rich man is probably more subjected to perverse ways since he can spend more on vices.

Proverbs 25 - 26 (17th June) - Ivy

Proverbs 25

According to my study bible, there was a revival in the reign of Hezekiah (715-686 B.C.), who restored thes singing of hymns to its proper place (2 Ch29:30). His interests in the ‘words of David’ correspond to his support of this compilation of Solomon’s proverbs. Solomon was the last king to rule over all Israel during the united monarchy; Hezekiah was the first king to rule over all Israel after the destruction of the divided monarchy’s northern kingdom.

I remembered Landa Cope’s sermon few week’s back and kinda relate this chapter to her sermon and book. She said everything belongs to God. Every subject, every industry, every creativity belongs to the Lord. We have a glimpse of what is being said about the society in

Proverbs 25.

25:4 ‘Remove the dross from the silver’ here compares the process of purification of silver to the purification of a society. We see that God desires the ruler to be appointed. We can know this in verse 5 where ‘his throne will be established through righteousness’. This verse also reminds me of Jesus.

It is said that in politics, you got to fight your way through and probably resort to unscrupulous ways. However we can see that God’s method would prefer us to be ‘invited to the position’ rather than fight our way through. (verse 6-7)

We know many weird cases of people bringing their own parents, neighbour, relatives to court for trival matters.God warns us about seriousness of disputes in verse 8. You may think, ‘If I have a valid stand, why do I fear ‘my neighbour putting me to shame’? Many times, we often only see the faults of others and not ours.

Matthew 7:4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

However when a matter is brought to light(judgement), God will reveal all the ‘shame’. Therefore it maybe wise to settle things in a win-win situation rather than in a confrontational manner.

In verse 15, patience and a gentle tongue is much encouraged. Can you think of any situation where you can exercise more patience and kinder with words?

Verse 16 and 27 reminds us not to take too much honey!! God probably knows better that too much sugar content is bad for health! However the honey here also refers to seeking of one’s own honor or pleasure. Is there something you are enjoying very much and taking away your time and love from God? Time to repent!!

From this chapter alone, we can know of God’s character. I would say God is:
Patient
Kind
Peace loving (Returning evil with good v21-22)

Verse 28 reminds us too that a person who lacks self control is vulnerable and subjected to ‘attack’ from the evil ones. Can you identify any such areas? Submit them to the Lord and get protection from our Good Lord!

Proverbs 26

From this chapter, we can see that God detest the proud and sees them as a fool. Are we too wise in our own eyes?
Throughout the bible, God talks a lot about the speech and tongue. A good reminder to watch our tongues for what comes out of the mouth does reflect the condition of the heart.

2 Chronicles 8, 1 Kings 9 (16th June) - Benjamin

These 2 chapters talks about the activities that Solomon did after he built the temple of the Lord and his own palace.

Here we see Solomon’s obedience by following strictly to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for Sabbaths, New Moons and three annual feasts; and also appointing people to the various roles and responsibilities.

What really struck me is the message from the Lord to Solomon – 1 Ki 9:6-9. We are constantly reminded to obey God’s commands for we know what the consequences are.

Luke 4:4 – Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

We have to do a self-check every moment of our life to ensure that we do not commit anything against His commandments. It’s not easy, but hey, it’s not an easy ride to be Christ like. Start checking yourself right now!!

Psalms 134, 146 - 150 (15th June) - Sky

All these Psalms have 1 similarity
All Praises to the same GOD

Psalm 134
A short song asking the servants to lift their heads praising the Lord. No one praise with a bowed head

Psalm 146
This praise shows that our hope, help, freedom and sustenance are all from the Lord. As we praise him with all our life, He upholds the oppressed, lifts up the humbled and frustrates the way of the wicked.

Won’t that just bring you a smile?

Psalm 147
Our words could barely describe His greatness. Half of this psalm uses nature to emphasize the Lord’s power. Covers the sky with clouds, supplies the earth with rain, makes the grass grow, stirs up breezes and make water flow.

The psalm ended by boasting on the fact that Jerusalem was the only nation that the law and His Word is known. Israelites were privileged people and so are we.

For Christ completed the Law and enabled us to come before God with our rags.

Psalm 148
How do things praise GOD? Asking the sun, moon, stars, and waters all to praise him?

These images personified to paint a picture of God’s control over all creation. All of creation gives it praise to God by being what has made it to be for
(V5 for he commanded and they were created)

Praise Him for his authority is final. So is His love, promises and Son.

Psalm 149
This psalm has a verse which caught me.

V6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double edged sword in their hands.

Josh once shared; our praise can act as a weapon against the Evil One. So why should we hold back dancing, singing, moving, expressing our feelings of joy, thankfulness and praise to our beloved GOD.

Psalm 150
We praise him for his acts of power, his surpassing greatness. Praise him with everything we are and have. Not only with all the instruments but with our hearts. For God is worthy of the best we can offer in our worship, regardless of our abilities and limitations.

Let everything that has breath praise GOD. Nice way to end a Praise don’t you think?

2 Chronicles 6 - 7, Psalms 136 (14th June) - Sky

2 Chronicles 6
The start of this chapter, a speech was given by Solomon. It was made after when the Ark representing the convent of the Lord he made with his People was brought into the temple. It played a big significance because God have not chose a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple since the day they were brought out of Egypt. But now the Lord chose Jerusalem and chose Solomon to be his Hands to have the temple to be built.

Solomon carried on with a prayer of dedication. He started it on sharing how affirmed he was that our GOD is a promise-making and keeping GOD. And how it call came true. V18 has a very interesting point is that Why will GOD dwell with men in a Temple when even the Heavens cannot contain HIM? The only reason I could think of was because we are of great importance to Him and how much Love He has for us.

Solomon pleaded to GOD that when the people pray or cry. May He hear, and forgive. May He deal with them accordance to what he does, since the Lord will know his heart.

V40 Now, my God may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.

Solomon's Prayer consisted of request and repents. After reading this chapter a few affirmations I learnt :

1. God knows your heart
2. God is a promise making and keeping God
3. God loves us

These points are not something new. But it’s something to be renewed in my heart daily.

2 Chronicles 7
Solomon dedicated the temple to the Lord with praises, worship, music, thousands of sacrifices and offerings. It lasted for a period of 20 over days leaving the people joyful in heart on what the Lord has done for the people.

As the Lord appeared to Solomon affirming him that He ahs heard his prayer and His eyes will be open and ears be attentive. But the people have to humble themselves and pray and seek with a righteousness heart. The Lord also mentioned to Solomon if He observe and walk in his laws and decrees, the Lord will establish his royal throne.

Psalms 136
This psalm is a beautiful psalm written to thank God. That 1 fact will always be established forever

“His love endures forever”

2 Chronicles 5; 1 Kings 8 (13th June) - Weiling

The massive project of building God’s temple has been completed. Yet, in those days before Jesus, that temple would have just remained a building without the Ark of the Covenant. To bring in the Ark to the temple was to usher in the presence of God.

As I read the passages of today again, I could feel the awe-inspiring moment. Finally, the presence of God is going to dwell in the presence of the people of Israel and Judah again. A place has been built for God to dwell forever.

God wants to be near us. The blueprint of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle was given first by God to Moses in the wilderness so that God can be in the midst of His people. In the 40 years of wilderness, God led His people by a great cloud by day and fire by night. When the cloud or fire moved, the people packed up the Tabernacle and moved, when the cloud or fire settled, the people set up the Tabernacle. It was a time of wandering for the people then. In today’s passages, we see that it is a different setting. God has blessed His people so much and Israel was very prosperous under King Solomon.

All the heads and chiefs of the tribes were there. (1 King 8:1) So many sheep and cattle were sacrificed that they could not be recorded or counted! And when the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, God’s glory filled the temple. God’s presence was so holy and glorious that the priests could not perform their service! Can you imagine how awesome it was? Just as how Solomon expressed it in 1 King: 27, how is that a God which even the highest heavens cannot contain could dwell in the temple? Yet God chose to. God desires to be with His people.

David and Solomon’s desire in building the temple was so that God would dwell among the people forever. Yet, we also saw how the people of Israel and Judah later strayed from God and grieved Him. Does your heart desire to dwell in the presence of God all the days of your life? If so, then know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. Commit your hearts fully to God and obey Him.

2 Chronicles 4, 1 Kings 7 (12th June) - Joshua

These 2 chapters document the furnishing of God's temple after a long warring period. The articles includes outer courts furnishing and temple articles, in which the chapters documented in great detail.

The intriguing point to me was : "When all the work King Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated.." - 1 Kings 7:51

The dedicated things.

To Solomon, the dedicated things are the gold, silver and the Ark.
To God and generations, the example of dedication is Solomon.

Solomon prepared, set aside, gave his best, read into details in his dedication to God. A template of worship we can follow.

2 Chronicles 2 - 3; 1 Kings 5 - 6 (11th June) - Benjamin

These 4 chapters talks about the request that King Solomon sent to Hiram, king of Tyre. It clearly states the materials required to build the grand temple for God (2 Chr 2-5), all of the finest quality. Thank God for Hiram, who provided the manpower and the materials required to make this magnificent house of God.

It even goes into the detailed measurements of the Most Holy Place.

I think it’s just amazing how the men of those times managed to build a building of such a scale. Imagine the effort and time required, given the lack of modern machineries. The reason motivation for them to carry on and build up the place is that this is the temple of God and they were the chosen ones to take on the tasks.

Sometimes, I wonder if any of us will be complaining and grumbling when we were the chosen ones to take on certain tasks that God has delegated to us. This brings me to the point about the 100K Challenge. It is a divine responsibility that God has placed upon the church leadership. We should be obedient followers and go forth to perform this task with joy and confidence!!

Proverbs 22 - 24 (10th June) - Sky

Proverbs 22

Chapter 22 starts out with a benefit of wise people. A wise person earns good reputation as they learn to handle finances carefully, avoid sexual impurity, control emotions and speech, working hard. Why is it necessary to have a good name? So we can be that testimony, that difference, that blessing, to be the Light that shines even in Darkness.

Verse 4
2 words are often repeated in Proverbs and that is Fear of the Lord and humility. That will always be the essence and foundation of wisdom.

Verse 5 and 8
Solomon often uses poetic and flowery words to describe walks of wickedness or righteousness. Wicked lie thorns and snares but for the righteousness lies rivers of blessings.

Verse 15
Child discipline is mentioned again here. Ever wonder why a child is always so mischievous? Folly is bound up in the heart of the child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him. Due to sensitiveness we can’t use a cane during Young Arrows. Makes things easier sometimes Haha =X

Verse 17 – 29
Sayings of the wise, apply your heart to what I teach. It started out impactfully

Readers, we should not just read and let it past. But let it sink deep into our hearts, mind and spirit and apply it in out daily lives.

Proverbs 23

This chapter continues by sharing other principles to be applied in life.

Verse 6
Why not eat the food of a stingy man? When u ask or even accept a favor from a stingy man. Logically, his manners and attitude will make your experience miserable by expecting something in return.

Verse 12
Application of wisdom. Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.

Verse 17-18
AS I read this verse I felt it really relates to a lot of people and myself. Sometimes in my Christian walk, I do envy sinners in their way of life. But we are to be zealous for the fear of the Lord. And the encouragement is stated in V18 that we will have hope and it will never be cut off!

Verse 20-21 and 29-35
They talks about alcoholism, not a modern phenomenon, a problem even troubles the people of the Middle East. For Drunkards becomes poor, not only spiritually but financially as well. And their daily clothes would be drowsiness

Solomon does not only give spiritual depth to his wisdom, but with logic and common sense as well.

Proverbs 24

A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength.

Verse 11
This verse caught me, as we help the unjustly condemned to die, to rescue them from spiritual or physically death. People need to hear the life-changing message of the gospel as it is the Solution to all deaths.

Verse 14
Again stated future hope for us and our hope will not be cut off. Sometimes GOD promises again and again, and yet we still have little faith in HIM.

Verse 26
A poetic verse, an honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. An honest answer like a kiss demonstrates affection and love, the marks of genuine friendship.

As I continue to read proverbs, I asked myself how do I develop a wise heart?

Developing a heart that is skilled in following God’s way requires exceptional commitment and discipline. Because of sin, we enter this world with spiritual “heart disease”. The heart, the inner control center that thinks, feels and makes choices, is clogged with evil thoughts, sexual perversions, deceit, pride and foolishness.

AS we weed out the evil thoughts, desires and motives. And fill our minds with true, pure admirable thoughts. Bringing healing to our hearts begins with a passionate fear of the Lord.

Proverbs 19 - 21 (9th June) - Xiao Woon

Proverbs 19
Verses 4 and 7:
Nowadays when u’re rich..everyone flocks to you but when they know that u are poor, they may not even want to be near u.. Thank God that He accepts us for who we are and although we’re so poor (in spirit etc), and He’s so rich, He does not despise us but instead wan to even draw close to us.

Verses 5 and 9:
Repetition of this verse twice means God’s emphasizing that those who tell lies will really perish and to really watch our tongues. Check on ourselves daily. Did we tell any lies yesterday, today and do we intend to tell a lie the next day (maybe to cover up for something we did that’s not right?)? we must constantly do a reality check on ourselves everyday so that we don’t stray away n take God’s grace and mercy for granted.

Verse 17:

Being kind to the poor is like lending to God. I remember during the Jackie Pullinger conference where she mentioned that we should treat everyone as if they were Jesus Himself and treat them like we would treat Jesus.

Matthew 25:45-"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

God sees and rewards accordingly. He does the heart check on us and He knows best.

Verse 20:

Listen to the advice of your leaders as their advice is for your own good. Sometimes things that they say you may not like it and may not obey. But it’s actually these words that are the good advice, and it is because they care so much for u and love u so dearly that they choose to tell u things that u don’t like to hear rather than things that you like to hear so that things will turn out well and u may realized that u became wise through all these! Verse 27 mentions again that it is not wise to not listen to instruction.

Proverbs 20
Verse 1:

Wine is a mocker and beer a bawler. It is not wise to be led astray by them. How can we be led astray by alcohol? They are not even living. But be careful. Satan uses them to create chaos. Too much alcohol causes one to lose his/her consciousness and he/she may end up doing things that he/she does not know. This is very dangerous and one can fall into sin very easily. Thus it is not wise to be led astray by them in that sense. It is not ok to be drunk with alcohol. Know your limits. If you do not know your limits then don’t drink at all.

Verse 6:
Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find? Thank God that He is the faithful One, with that unfailing and unconditional love for us. For where else can we find one who would die for us sinners but only He, who loves us so much? Man’s love will fail, but God’s love never fails. Seek God’s love, not man’s.

Verse 22:
Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
We don’t have to slap the other guy back when he slaps us in the face. We don’t have to get back at that person who wronged us or hurt us etc. Just wait upon the Lord, He would deliver us and deal with the person accordingly.

Verse 27:
The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being.
The footnotes says this: The spirit of man is the LORD 's lamp.
We represent God’s lamp to shine onto the world in His image.

Proverbs 21
Verse 13:
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.
God hears our cries, He hears the cries of the poor. Let us not be ignorant to the cries of the poor but to meet their needs and to serve them to the best that we can =)

This chapter is about the wicked and righteous. Be righteous and see yourself prosper in God’s hands=)

Proverbs 16-18 (8th June) - Li Juan

Proverbs 16-18

What does it mean to commit to the Lord whatever you do? What does it mean to have the fear of the Lord? What does it mean to lead a pleasing life? What does it mean to live a righteous life? What does wisdom mean? What does folly mean?

Although there can be so many bombastic vocabularies, analogies and metaphors, when I read through these proverbs the bottom line of it is whether all that you are doing pleases the Lord? It can be through logical reasoning that certain things are not right, it can be a heaviness in the spirit which prompts you, it can be a troubling thought or guilt or something u keep dwelling upon which reminds you that “Yes there is this thing which is not in line with what the scripture says and not pleasing to Him”. Today, come before Him with a heart of obedience and willingness to truly ask the Holy Spirit to lead you, and to go back to the Bible to learn about what is right/wrong to do.

Learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to listen to Him speak, learn to not let your conversations with others become gossip sessions, learn to discern what is right and wrong, learn to be humble and most importantly, learn to fear the Lord.

Proverbs 13 - 15 (7th June) - Sky

Proverbs 13

This chapter provides spiritual depth ranging from watchful tongue to humility to be applied in daily lives. A few is listed below

Humility
V1 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction but a mocker does not listen to rebuke
V10 pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

As it is written “With humility comes wisdom”

A Watchful Tongue
V2 from the fruit of his lips a man enjoys good things, but the unfaithful have a craving for violence
V3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin

A fool slanders and destroys. A wise person nourishes and encourages with his mouth. Our mouths have potential to make lives miserable or make lives joyful. It has the power to affect destiny.

Disciplining your child
V24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

There is no question that physical discipline is meant here. Disciplining your child with firmness rather than anger, that’s what being careful, is about

Proverbs 14

In this chapter you will see a lot of contrasting issues such as Simple and prudent man, wise and foolish, patient and quick-tempered, peace and envy, righteousness and evil, truthful and lies.

In most of Solomon proverbs he has always use contrasting words in all of his principles.
V16 A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless
V29 a patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly

Every verse he writes always shows that there will be nothing good that comes out from the wicked or even there is, it’s short-lived. Righteousness exalts even a nation while sin is a disgrace to any people. In Christ we are righteous, why should our actions tell us otherwise?

Proverbs 15

Chapter 15 continues by showing the contrast of righteous and wicked

V6 the house of the righteous contains great treasure but the income of the wicked brings them trouble
V14 the discerning heart seeks knowledge but the mouth of a fool feed on folly

Many more principles to learn from Solomon other than these two. But often Solomon always summaries 1 point and that is, the RIGHTEOUNESS never LOSE OUT

Wisdom is fear of the Lord. Every bible-reading Christian would know. As I discern about it with that desire to be wiser, I ask myself, from scale 1 – 10 how much do I fear him? 1 is I need to renounce my faith. While 10 is you will do no wrong in this world

With humility comes wisdom. Humility comes before honor. As I read I pray that may our ears be willing and open, our hearts be receptive and obedient, may our Spirit convicts and encourages, may the Fear of the Lord sink deep into our hearts as we live each day to be that Light of the World.

Proverbs 10 - 12 (6th June) - Weiling

Theme and Message of Proverbs
According to the prologue (1:1-7), Proverbs was written to give “prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young” (1:4), and to make wise men wiser (1:5). Acquiring wisdom and knowing how to avoid the pitfalls of folly will lead to health and success. Although Proverbs is a practical book dealing with the art of living, it bases wisdom solidly on the fear of the Lord. (1:7)

Most of the proverbs today are antithetical, using the conjunction but to contrast the path of folly with the path of faith. The proverbs are varied but practical: teaching you how to use your money, not to shoot your mouth off, how to select friends… etc. Perhaps as you read through the proverbs today, the Holy Spirit highlighted some that He wants to speak to you about. Ask yourself, what are the proverbs that speak most clearly to your need today?

The following headings are not really the only prevailing main points to the chapters but are just some points I’m highlighting.

Proverbs 10 – Mouths and Money
v.19-21; 31-32 We see that we need to restrain our tongue, because when we talk too much, “transgression (or sin) is unavoidable”. (James3: 5) Like a small spark, a word from our mouth can start a fire. But, the mouth can also bless. The heart and mouth are closely related as we read in these verses. Often, what we say is a reflection of what is in our hearts. If there is resentment or frustration, what we say are often bitter.

Proverb 10 also instills the fear of the Lord regarding money. We are cautioned that “ill-gotten gains do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death” and also, “it is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it”. Therefore, do not put money above God. God knows what you need and He will provide. Fear Him and seek to be righteous instead.

Proverbs 11 – Generosity
v.24-26 spoke to me as I read through this chapter. The teaching is indeed quite contrary to what the world says to us. We are usually tempted to look out for ourselves or to preserve ourselves. Often, it’s because of fear or selfishness. However, we are taught today not to withhold or hoard, but to give and be generous.

Do you believe that God is the Source, that He is your provider? God wants us to give and to bless because that will make us to be like Him, He who loves to give and bless (us)! “He who waters will himself be watered”. Amen!

Proverbs 12 – Guidance and Counsel
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid”. (v.1)
Often, discipline and sound advice are hard to swallow. But if we look at it objectively and positively, we can learn from it and improve. If we simply shut our ears to it, we miss the chance we can to learn from it.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” (v.15)
However, be careful whose counsel you listen to. “The thoughts of the righteous are just, but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful”. Ask God for wisdom and discernment. One very safe advice: Check with your pastors and leaders :) Don’t simply choose to hear what you want to hear.

Proverbs 7 - 9 (5th June) - Melvin

Proverbs 7: Warning Against the Adultress

This is a follow up chapter addressing the importance of guarding our hearts against adultery. Proverbs 4,5,6 have addressed the severity of adultery and how displeasing such an act is to our Father Lord.

Proverbs 7 introduces the character that can lead young men astray - the Adultress. God commands that we keep his teachings and his word close to our hearts so as they may aid in guarding our hearts and nurture wisdom in us (Verse 1-5), which will prove useful because (verse 7) "a youth who lacked judgment" falls and sways easily to the Adultress's persuasive words (verse 21).

It is not to say a wise man will not falter BUT a wiseman in God will possess better judgment and know HOWto guard his heart against temptations. Equipped with God's teachings and through God, we can overcome all difficulties.

Verse 22 onwards mentions of how faltering is a terrible sin that ultimately leads to death (Proverbs 7:27: her house is a highway to the grave, leadingdown to the chambers of death). The Adultress here also takes on a more deeper significance, She is the evil one, who uses persuasive words, material temptations, lust, lies masked with worldy wants etc to seduce us into faltering and to sin in our daily lives at any possible location (verse12: now in the street, now in the squares).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Father urges us to hold onto his Word for it gives us wisdom to fight the Spiritual Battles in our daily lives.

Proverbs 8: Wisdom Calls

Previously in chapter 7, we refer to wisdom as a sister and we are told to call understanding our kinsman. In chapter 8, it describes what wisdom is and how wisdom can be such an amazing gift from God. Verses 10, 11 and 19 - compares wisdom with some of the finest metals and precious stones in the world.

Wisdom is indeed better than the finest gold. Important in this chapter is verse 32 onwards, how wisdom urges all brothers and sisters to seek after it and (verse 35) "for whoever finds me finds life andreceives favour from the Lord".. It is as if Jesus is speaking us as "Wisdom". The chapter ends of in verse 36, "But whoever fails tofind me harms himself; all who hate me love death". Notice how the word "death" is used again, to end of chapter 7 and then again to end of chapter 8. This shows a link to both chapters and emphasizes on how we must consistently and constantly seek for God's wisdom in our lives, that we may make wise and well-judged actions and choices that will glorify his kingdom and his ways.

Proverbs 4-6 (4th June) - Ezra

Chp 4:

In this chapter, I can only summaries it as, listen to the wisdom of fathers.
Why I say that? Simple;

The whole chapter 4 talks about the wisdom of a father to a son.
Verse 1: Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding (NIV).
Verse 1: Listen, friends, to some fatherly advice, sit up and take notice so you'll know how to live (Msg Version).
Verse 1: Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding (NKJV).

I will also like to bring your attention to this passage:
Verse 12: When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble (NIV).
Verse 12: I don't want you ending up in blind alleys, or wasting time making wrong turns (Msg Version).
Verse 12: When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble (NKJV).
From verse 1 to here, it brings us to a very simple path of wisdom. That is, listen to the wise and do everything according to what the Lord has intended for you.
In the massge version, it's really interesting; after verse 12, we see verse 13 as it continues on saying: Hold tight to good advice; don't relax your grip. Guard it well—your life is at stake!
It is pretty strong at the last part, but I feel that it's saying, hold tight to the values and principles of what was thought to you through the word of God and guard it well, because we are always facing temptation everyday, trails and burddens everyday. So we must always be on our guard.

In the below verses, it also shows us that, when we learn to guard our heart and put His word into practice, our health will be grow better, verse 22. Following on, it also teaches us to put perversity from our mouth and also to keep corrupt talk far from your lips, Verse 24.

Take some time to study the massage version and NKJV version of Proverbs, it is reallyv ery interesting as you can find the different placements and usage of words which opens up your mind to understand greater in detail.


Chp 5:

Here as we see, it's a warning against adultery.

For us, many are very young. But it's good to know and start learning now, the right values and principles to live a life holy and pleasing before God.

I will summaries up this whole chapter as; man's ways are evil, but through His word, He will set us free and align our hearts, minds, soul, values and principles back to Him.

Chp 6:

Verse 16-19: 16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers (NIV).
Verse 16-19: Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, a mouth that lies under oath, a troublemaker in the family (Msg Version).
Verse 16-19: 16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren (NKJV).

The few different version I quoted, they all have very similer characteristics of the word they use: detestable, passion and abomination. This shows us that, it is really so wrong to commit these acts. The words used are all very strong words. So bare in mind that the above shouldn't be part of our life style.

Again from verse 20 - 35 talks about adultery. This shows us that, this kind of act is very dis-pleasing to God so much that it was repeated 3 passages of it.