12 February - Acts 18:8-9 ~ All believers are entitled to Jesus’ presence

Of all the early apostles, Paul was the most persecuted(2 Cor.11:23-33). Therefore, if anyone needed Jesus’ presence and companionship, it was Paul. And here Jesus spoke to him to assure him of His presence with him(Acts 18:9-10). This is what He promised all His servants before He ascended(Matt.28:20). Jesus’ presence was not just a promise to Paul, it was a living reality to him (see Acts 23:11). This presence was undoubtedly the secret of Paul’s perseverance, successes and victories(Acts 18:8-9). Like Paul, every believer is entitled to the presence of Jesus in his life and affairs. Jesus’ promise of His presence applies to all believers in every age(Matt.28:20). We are also entitled to experience His presence as a living reality in our lives and affairs, as was the case for Paul, since Jesus is alive forever more and is the same yesterday, today, and forever(see Rev.1:18; Heb.13:8). Like Paul, we need His presence to succeed in our lives and careers. In fact, there is nothing we can accomplish without it( see Jn.15:4-6).

PRAYER: 1. Lord Jesus, please let your presence be my portion as you promised.
2. Lord Jesus, please take away from me whatever hinders your presence.

13 February - Mk.10:42-44 ~ The ministry or leadership Jesus recommends

Jesus used the opportunity provided by the request of James and John (Mk.10:35- 37) to state the way of doing ministry or leadership that He recommends (Mk.10:35-45). His recommended way contrasts sharply with that of the Gentile rulers(Mk.10:43). There is no similarity between His recommended way and that of the Gentile rulers (Mk.10:43). His recommended way is that of servant or service(Mk.10:43-44), not that of lord or authority(Mk.10:42). Jesus has been consistent in making this assertion(Mk.9:35-37). For Him, successful ministry or leadership lies in becoming a servant, not lord(Mk.9:35-37; Mk.10:42-44). The early disciples achieved the phenomenal success they did because they took and kept to this method and style(cf.1 Pet.5:1-4). Therefore, anyone who desires success in ministry or leadership must make use of this same method. There is no success in ministry or leadership outside of this method(see Phil.2:5-11). However, this is not a popular method, but as far as Jesus is concerned, it is the only valid one He recommends. Many prefer the way of the Gentile rulers, but Jesus would have nothing to do with it(Mk.9:35-37; Mk.10:42-44 ). His true followers will surely follow His recommended way, if they wish to succeed in their ministry or leadership. The choice is between His recommended method and our own.

PRAYER:1. Father, please enable me to be your servant totally.
2. Father, please take away the spirit of pride and lordship from me.

14 February - Deut.26:12-15 - Tithe, the basis for God’s blessings

A tithe is one tenth of our income or produce. It is God’s command(Deut.26:13,14; Deut.14:28-29). It is to be set aside from our income or produce, and given out to the people God specifies (Deut.26:12). The people God specifies to receive tithes are His ministers (Num.18:24; Heb.7:5), the alien, the fatherless, and the widow (Deut.26:12,13; Deut.14:28-29). With this passage and its counterparts, it means it is Scriptural to give our tithes to God’s ministers and the needy (Deut.26:13,14; Deut.14:28-29). It is a sacred portion (Deut.26:13,14). This means that it belongs to God and must be given out as He commands. To hold it back is to rob God (Mal.3:8-12). Therefore, it must be set aside and given out in obedience to Him. Even Abraham paid it (Gen.14:18-20). There is no excuse whatsoever for not obeying this command (Deut.26:14). It is the basis for God’s blessings upon those who obey and upon their land (Deut.26:15).

PRAYER: 1. Lord, please enable me to obey you most faithfully in paying my tithes
2. Lord, please take away anything that may prevent me from paying my tithes faithfully.

15 February - Deut.26:16 ~ Full obedience is God’s command

As Moses reviewed and restated the laws and decrees of God to the Israelites before his death, he reminded them of the command to obey God’s laws and decrees(Deut.26:16; Deut.11:1). God specifically commanded the Israelites to obey His decrees , laws, and commands (Deut.11:1; Deut.26:16). Therefore, obedience is God’s command (Deut.11:1; Deut.26:16). It is not optional for His children . Moses also indicated to them how God expected them to obey Him (Deut.26:16). God expected them to obey Him with all their hearts and souls (Deut.26:16; Deut.6:5). This is exactly how God expects us to obey Him today. As far as God is concerned, partial, half-hearted obedience or devotion means nothing at all to Him (Deut.6:5). Obedience that is not from one’s whole heart and soul is no obedience at all (Deut.6:5). Until we obey God with all our hearts and souls, we are not obeying Him at all (Deut.6:5). To obey God with all our hearts and souls means that there must be no area or aspect of our lives in which we are not living in full or complete obedience to Him.

PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to obey you with all my heart and soul.
2. Father, please take away everything that hinders me from obeying you fully.

16 February - Obad.12 ~ Edom to account for rejoicing over Judah’s destruction

One of the reasons for God’s forthcoming judgment of Edom as announced or proclaimed by prophet Obadiah (Obad.1-9, 15-16), is that they rejoiced at the destruction of Judah because of their unfaithfulness to Him (Jer.52:3). It is not acceptable to God that Edom should rejoice over Judah’s destruction (Obad.12; Ezek.35:15). The Scripture is quite consistent in this teaching. It clearly forbids believers from rejoicing over the misfortune or calamity of their enemies (Prov.24:17-18). Such rejoicing is not only unacceptable to God but punishable by Him as in the instant case (Obad.1-16). On the contrary, God commands us to love our enemies and do good to them(Lk.6:27-36; Prov.25:21-22;Exod.23:4-5;cf.Rom.12:17-21). To rejoice at the misfortune or calamity of our enemies is therefore not of God. To love our enemies and do good to them is of Him. Those who rejoice at the misfortune or calamity of their enemies do not have the support of the Scripture behind their action.

PRAYER: 1. Father, please forgive all my enemies.
2. Father, please enable me to love all my enemies and do good to them.
3. Father, please take away the spirit of hatred from me.

17 February - Deut.26:17-19 ~ The reward of obedience

When the Israelites declared that the Lord is their God and that they will obey Him (Deut.26:17), the Lord also declared that they are His people, His treasured possession, and that He will set them in praise, fame and honour, high above the nations He has made (Deut.26:18-19). Their declaration that the Lord is their God and that they will obey Him (Deut.26:17) is the basis for God’s own declaration that they are His people and that He will exalt them above all others (Deut.26:18-19). The word of God is the same for us as it was for them. Acknowledging God as our God and undertaking to obey Him is the basis of our sonship and His blessings (Jn.1:12-13; Ps.1:1- 3;Deut.28:1-2). The Lord brings down those who deny and disobey Him(Deut.28:15 ff.) but exalts those who acknowledge and obey Him (Deut.28:1ff.). When we acknowledge and obey Him, we open the door for Him to acknowledge and exalt us (Deut.28:1ff.). When we deny and disobey Him, we close the door of His acknowledgement and blessings against ourselves (Deut.28:15ff.).

PRAYER: 1. Father, please enable me to acknowledge you alone as my God and to obey you fully in all areas or aspects of my life.
2. Father, please take away the spirit of disobedience from me.

18 February - Mk. 14:10-11 ~ Jesus betrayed for money

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, offered to betray Him in return for money(Mk.14:10-11). He is the one who initiates the transaction(Mk.14:10). His act, driven and motivated by money, became the greatest betrayal in human history, second to no other. The love of money is indeed a root of all kinds of evil(1Tim.6:10). Like Judas, many people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs(1 Tim.6:10). The Scripture exhorts believers to keep their lives free from the love of money(Heb.13:5). It is not possible to serve both God and money(Lk.16:13). True godliness lies in contentment not in greediness for money(1Tim.6:6).

PRAYER: 1. Father, please give me the spirit of contentment.
2. Father, please take away the love and greed for money from me

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