Bible Examples

Handling God's Word

2013-06-18T17:35:00.000+08:00

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2)

Words matter.
Especially when they are the very words of God.
Moses warned Israel, “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God”.
Moses often reminded Israel of God’s mercy and faithfulness to them in the past.
But he also stressed the importance of obedience to God’s commands as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.
He told them that obedience would result in blessings of life and a rich inheritance.
Every command and regulation mattered to God.
The value His people placed on God’s Word showed their view of Him.
Today, when we value God’s Word, handle it with great care, and obey what it says, we give God the reverence He truly deserves.
God’s Word needs no additions or subtractions.

Stay Connected With God

2013-06-13T05:36:00.001+08:00

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

We keep our connection with God alive by spending time in His Word and in prayer.
Then we are to be doers of His Word.
The writer of Psalm 119 recognized the importance of a connection to God.
He asked God to teach him His statutes and give him understanding of His law.
Then he prayed that he would observe it with his whole heart, walk in the path of God’s commandments, and turn away his eyes from looking at worthless things.
By meditating on God’s Word and then applying it, the psalmist stayed connected to God.
God has given us His Word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path to lead us to Him.
May the mind of Christ our Savior live in us from day to day,
May His love and power controlling all we do and say.
Let us stay connected to God every day.

Handling God's Truth

2013-06-07T07:44:00.000+08:00

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

We are human.
We sin and we make mistakes.
We will make mistakes sometimes as we share God’s Word with others.
But we have an obligation to diligently seek His truth.
We must exercise care when we talk about God’s Word.
Then we must boldly proclaim Him.
And we pray that His Spirit will guard our hearts and the hearts of those we seek to serve.
We pray that God will guard His truth.
God and His Word are deserving of our greatest care.
May God’s Word fill our memory, rule our heart, and guide our words.
May we be God’s diligent workers rightly dividing His word of truth.

Show Our Love

2013-06-02T07:29:00.000+08:00

For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. (John 13:15)

It is easier and faster to tell others what to do.
Showing others how to do require time and effort.
In teaching, it is easier to tell students what is wrong with what they did.
It is more difficult to show them how to do it right.
But the latter is more effective.
For many years, the Jewish people had only the law to tell them what to do and what not to do.
But then came Jesus Christ.
He showed them how to live the life God had been telling them about all along.
Jesus didn’t just say, “Be humble”; He humbled Himself.
Jesus didn’t just say, “Forgive others”; He forgave us.
Jesus didn’t just say, “Love God and your neighbors”; He demonstrated love by His actions.
Christ’s perfect example of love shows us how great God’s love is for us.
It also shows us how we are to show His love to others.
Love is God’s will in action.
Let us show our love than talking so much about it.

Jesus is in our Boat

2013-05-29T07:27:00.000+08:00

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)

When the disciples were stuck in a life-threatening storm, they ran to Jesus.
What do we do when we are stuck in a troubling situation with nowhere to run?
Some of us may try to bail ourselves out of trouble by seeking revenge, slandering the one who has caused our problem, or just cowering fearfully in the corner as we sink into despair.
We need to learn from the disciples who fled to Jesus as their only hope.
Jesus may not bail us out immediately.
But remembering that He is in our boat makes a difference.
Jesus is always with us in the storms of life, saying things like “Peace, be still!”
Let us look for Jesus in our storm.
Let Him fill us with the peace that comes from knowing He is near.
Lord, teach us to run to You in the midst of trouble.
Lord, forgive us for trying to bail ourselves out.
Lord, lead us to the peace of trusting Your wisdom and ultimate deliverance.
Thank You Lord that You are always ready to help us.
Let us make Jesus our first option when the storms of life threaten us.

God's watchful Care

2013-05-23T05:49:00.000+08:00

Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"? (Isaiah 40:27)

The Good Shepherd is watching over us.
Even though we cannot see Him, He can see us.
He knows us by name.
He knows all about us.
We are the sheep of His pasture.
God promises that He will seek out His sheep, feed them in good pasture, and bind up the broken (Isaiah 40: 12,14,16).
We can trust in God’s watchful care.
We can trust in God.
He cares for us.
He keeps our souls.
Our heavenly Father watches over us.
The Lamb who died to save us is the Shepherd who lives to care for us.

Make People Feel Welcome

2013-05-18T07:50:00.000+08:00

And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)

Let us give a warm and cheery welcome to those who come to us.
Whether we are at church, in the neighborhood, or at social gatherings, let us make others feel welcome in our world.
In Romans 12:13, Paul instructed his readers to be “given to hospitality.”
The book of Hebrews said, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels” (13:2).
By showing gracious kindness to those who come our way, we echo the Savior’s invitation for salvation, which declares, “Let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely”.
To show someone loving hospitality might just be the first step in showing that person the way to heaven.
Let us live so that when people get to know us, they will want to get to know Christ.

God's Strength In Our Weakness

2013-05-11T19:18:00.001+08:00

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body! (Psalm 31:9)

The songs that mean the most to us give expression to our deepest feelings.
Many of the Psalms were born out of struggle.
They capture our disappointments and fears.
Yet they always point us toward the faithful love of God.
Here in Psalm 31, David wrote of a trap set for him, his own sin, abandonment by friends, and plots against his life.
But David’s hope was not in his own strength, but in God.
This Psalm invites us to pour out our hearts to God.
God has stored up His goodness for those who trust in Him.
We will not have to face life alone.
When we grow weak in our struggle, God’s strength will prevail.
When in our deepest need, always find God’s comfort in the Psalms.

The Man Believed In Jesus

2013-03-16T06:27:00.000+08:00

So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him
- John 4:43-54 -

If a prophet has no honour in his own country, why did the Lord Jesus return to Galilee? He was born in Judea, but Galilee was recognized as His country.

We cannot be certain why the Lord Jesus went to Galilee.

It was probably to avoid the crowds at this stage of His ministry.

The Galileans welcomed the Lord Jesus as a miracle worker. But they did not truly honour Him.

The Lord Jesus returned to Cana.

A nobleman came from Capernaum, some twenty miles distance, desperately seeking help.

He may have heard of the miracles of the Lord Jesus at Jerusalem, and he needed a miracle for his son.

The response of the Lord Jesus to the nobleman may have seemed harsh as he pleaded with Him to return with him to Capernaum. But the Lord wanted this man to trust in Him.

He told him to return home where he would find his son alive and well.

The nobleman believed the word that Jesus spoke to him.

He had no evidence that his son was well, but he took the Lord Jesus at His word, trusting in Him.

Travel was not easy in those days, and it was the next day before he reached home.

His servants met him to announce that his son was indeed well, having recovered the previous evening.

The nobleman found that it had been at the precise time that the Lord Jesus had said that his son was alive.

The nobleman and his entire household came to faith in Christ.

It is not easy to take the Lord at His word in times of deep anxiety.

But we must learn to do this, casting all our care upon Him because He does care for us.

Are we beset by doubts or tormented by fear? Are anxious thoughts robbing us of our joy in Christ? Come now to the Lord Jesus and unburden our heart to Him. Trust in Him. He cannot fail because He is God!

Look At The Fields

2013-02-22T10:09:00.000+08:00

Lift up your eyes and look at the fields - John 4:27-42

The disciples had gone to Sychar to buy food.

On returning, they were amazed to find the Lord Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman.

They urged Him to eat, but He told them that He had food of which they did not know.

This food was to do the will of the Father who had sent Him into the world, which at this time was to bring the Samaritan woman to salvation.

This food gave Him nourishment and satisfaction.

The disciples had been in the Samaritan city with their minds set on obtaining food, rather than on evangelism.

The Lord Jesus challenged them, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

The harvest for grain may have been four months away but the harvest of precious souls was ready for gathering in now!

The Samaritans came to hear the Lord Jesus and many believed in Him as the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

They urged Him to stay with them and He remained at Sychar for two days.

The Lord Jesus had sent His disciples to reap, but they did not see the ripened harvest.

Like them, we often miss opportunities to witness to those we meet as we go about our daily business.

Let us prayerfully look on the ripened harvest fields and speak to needy souls around us.

We will be surprised to find people whose hearts the Spirit of God has prepared to receive out message.

The most unlikely people are often those who respond to our witness. That is reward enough. But there will be eternal rewards not only for those who reap, but also for those who sow and at present see little reward for their labours!

Are our eyes on the fields which are ready to be harvested? Are we praying that God will use us to lead sinners to Christ? Do we know how to load a soul to the Lord Jesus?

Even So Must The Son of Man be Lifted Up

2013-02-12T18:23:00.000+08:00

John 3:8-15

The Lord Jesus used the wind as an illustration of the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in bringing sinners to new birth (regeneration).

We can hear the wind, but we cannot see it nor handle it.

Just as the wind blows where it wishes, the Holy Spirit works as He sovereignly pleases.

Nicodemus could not understand this though he was a great teacher in Israel.

The Bible declares, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him”. A man may be very religious or he may have a great intellect, but unless he is born again, he is in spiritual darkness.

Nicodemus twice asked, “How?” He did not understand the Old Testament prophecies which speak of the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. He did not believe because he lacked understanding.

The new birth is vital for salvation. So is the death of Christ for sinners — “Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up”.

Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the time when Israel rebelled against Moses and against God in the wilderness. The Lord punished them by sending poisonous serpents among the people. Many died from the venom of these snakes. Others confessed their sin and begged Moses to pray for them. God told Moses to make a serpent of brass and lift it up on a pole in the camp of Israel. All those who had been bitten were told to look at the serpent and those who did so were saved from death.

Our sin is like deadly poison which will bring death and destruction to us. The Lord Jesus came down from heaven and was lifted up on the cross in order to save us.

There can be no salvation without the new birth and without the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ for sinners!

Are we trusting in Jesus alone to save us from our sins?

The Word Was Made Flesh and Dwelt Among Us

2013-02-03T08:02:00.000+08:00

John 1:14-18

The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

The Lord Jesus took human flesh with all its limitations and weaknesses, except that He was and is sinless.

He knew hunger, thirst, weariness and pain. He is a Man of sorrows. He is acquainted with grief.

The truth of the incarnation is essential to the Christian faith.

But the Lord Jesus did not cease to be God when He took human flesh.

The Lord Jesus is both God and man!

No one has ever seen God, but the only begotten Son has revealed God to us.

John the Baptist was a great prophet born before Jesus.

But he testified that Jesus existed before him.

The Lord Jesus, the eternal Word has always existed!

The apostle John saw the glory of Jesus which was the glory of the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus is full of grace and truth.

Through Him come all the blessings of God's grace.

The law was given through Moses. But grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

That grace is truly amazing!

The Lord Jesus came into an ungrateful world which did not receive Him.

He showed His love to the same world when He died on the cross.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and that flesh was torn apart to save us poor sinners!

All these truths should cause every Christian to praise and to adore our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

God's Healing Hand

2013-01-23T20:34:00.003+08:00

"Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was on me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent."
- Ezekiel 33:22 -

The hand of the Lord may strengthen the soul.

The hand of the Lord may lift the spirit upward towards eternal things.

A sense of the divine presence and indwelling can bring the soul towards heaven.

At such times we are full to the brim with spiritual joy.

We may forget the cares and sorrows of earth.

We need the healing hand of the Lord.

Our graces languish, our corruptions rage, our faith is weak, our devotion is cold.

We need God's healing hand laid upon us.

God's glorious right hand can recreate our mind.

His unwearied hand can sustain our spirit.

His loving hand can cherish us.

His mighty hand can subdue our sins.

Come, let us pray to Him.

Let us feel God's hand that can help us.

Wait On The Lord

2013-01-19T08:00:00.002+08:00

“Be silent before me, you islands!
Let the nations renew their strength!
Let them come forward and speak;
let us meet together at the place of judgment.
- Isaiah 41:1 -

All things on earth need to be renewed.

No created thing can continue by itself.

Even the trees must drink of the rain of heaven and suck from the hidden treasures of the soil.

The life of men must be sustained with constant renewal from God.

It is necessary to repair the waste of the body by frequent meal.

It is also necessary to repair the waste of the soul by feeding upon the Word of God.

How depressed it is to hear and know that some saints are living without the diligent use of the Word of God and secret prayer!

Without constant restoration, we are not ready for the perpetual assaults of hell, worldliness, and the strifes from within.

Let us draw near to the footstool of divine mercy in humble entreaty.

Let us wait on the Lord.

They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.

The Lord Will Guide You Always

2013-01-14T20:25:00.000+08:00

The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
- Isaiah 58:11 -

"The Lord will guide you always."

God has not left the Christian believers in their earthly pilgrimage to an angel's guidance.

He Himself leads them.

We may not see the cloudy, fiery pillar, but God will never forsake us.

God's promise is better than men's oaths.

"The Lord will guide you always."

We are to hear the guiding voice of the Great Shepherd continually.

Whatever our circumstances, the Lord will guide us continually.

We have infallible wisdom to direct us, immutable love to comfort us, and eternal power to defend us.

Mark the word -- "The Lord will guide you always."

God Is Here

2013-01-11T13:59:00.000+08:00

The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
- Psalm 74:16 -

The Lord does not abdicate His throne when the sun goes down, nor does He leave the world during the long winter nights.

This is very sweet indeed.

The nights of affliction are under the arrangement and control of the Lord of Love. So are the bright summer days when all is bliss.

The Lord Jesus Christ is in the tempest.

From the first watch of the night to the break of day, the Lord God observes His saints for their highest good.

Gloomy seasons of religious indifference and social sin are not exempted from the divine purpose.

When the altars of truth are defiled, and the ways of God forsaken, the Lord's servants weep with bitter sorrow. But they may not despair, for the darkest eras are governed by the Lord, and shall come to their end at His bidding.

What may seem defeat to us may be victory to Him.

Since the Lord Himself is here, we must not fear.

How God Has Clothed Us

2013-01-01T20:15:00.000+08:00

I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. - Ezekiel 16:10 -

See how the Lord has clothed us.

See His matchless generosity.

See His unrivaled embroidered work.

See His work in our salvation.

See His work in the righteousness of the saints.

Justification is the theme of admiration in eternity.

See all this elaboration, mingled with usefulness and durability.

The righteousness by grace through faith endures forever.

We are clothed in pure white.

We are clothed in the royal apparel which is delicate and rich as silk.

No expense is spared.

No beauty withheld.

Oh! See how the Lord God has clothed us.

Let us express our gratitude and joy to Him.

Christian's Privileges

2012-12-24T18:29:00.001+08:00

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. - John 10: 9 -

Jesus is the entrance into the true Church.

He is the way of access to God Himself.

Jesus gives to the man who comes to God by Him four privileges:

(1) He shall be saved.

No one can be lost if they take Jesus as the door of faith to their souls.

Jesus is the only door.

Blessed is he who rests all his hope upon the crucified Redeemer.

(2) He shall go in.

He shall go in among the family of God, participating in all their honors and enjoyments.

He shall go in to the King of kings.

(3) He shall go out.

He shall go out into the world in the name and power of Jesus.

He shall bear witness to the truth, to cheer the disconsolate, to warn the careless, to win souls, and to glorify God.

He shall go out as God's messenger in His name and strength.

(4) He shall find pasture.

Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus.

He shall lack nothing.

Unfaithful Servant

2012-12-19T14:52:00.001+08:00

They are unfaithful to the LORD;
they give birth to illegitimate children.
When they celebrate their New Moon feasts,
he will devour their fields.
- Hosea 5:7 -

Here is a sorrowful truth.

We are the beloved of the LORD, redeemed by blood, called by grace, preserved in Christ Jesus, accepted in the Beloved, and on our way to Heaven.

But we are unfaithful to the LORD.

We are found to be unfaithful in the matter of vows and promises.

We have forgotten the happy time, the springtime of our spiritual life.

Oh, how closely we clang to our Master then!

But now, we are unfaithful to the LORD.

Prayer has oftentimes been slurred.

It has been short, but not sweet.

Brief, but not fervent.

Communion with Christ has been forgotten.

Instead of a heavenly mind, there have been carnal cares, worldly vanities and thoughts of evil.

Instead of service, there has been disobedience.

Instead of fervency, lukewarmness.

Instead of patience, petulance.

Instead of faith, confidence in an arm of flesh.

As a soldier of the cross, there has been cowardice, disobedience, and desertion, to a very shameful degree.

We are unfaithful to the LORD.

We have sinned against Him terribly.

Oh LORD! Forgive us.

Oh! Let us not sin again!

How shameful it is to be unfaithful to the LORD who never forgets us.

Peace And Rest

2012-12-13T09:01:00.000+08:00

My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation,
In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,
- Isaiah 32:18 -

Peace and rest belong only to God's people.

The God of Peace gives perfect peace to those whose hearts are with Him.

Before the fall of Adam, God gave him the garden of Eden as his quiet resting place.

When the flood swept away the guilty race, the chosen family was secured in the resting place of the ark.

When the destroying angel struck the first-born of Egypt, the people of Israel rested safely in the blood sprinkled habitations.

In the wilderness, under the shadow of the pillar of cloud, and the flowing rock, the weary Israelites enjoyed their sweet rest.

At this hour...

We rest in the promises of our faithful God.

We rest in Him whose words are full of truth and power.

We rest in the doctrines of His word.

We rest in the covenant of His grace.

Nothing can invade or destroy our shelter of peace and rest.

The person of the Lord Jesus Christ is the quiet resting place of His people.

Let us draw near to Him and enjoy the return of peace to our spirits.

One With Christ

2012-12-10T07:49:00.000+08:00

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
- 1 Corinthians 15:48 -

The head and members are of one nature.

Since the members were mortal, therefore the Lord Jesus died.

Since the glorified head is immortal, therefore the body is immortal too.

As is our loving Head, so is our body, and every member in particular.

A double union of nature is for the closest communion.

Let us not forget the infinite condescension of the Son of God in exalting our wretchedness into blessed union with His glory.

It is in Christ that we can say to God, "Abba, Father".

Let us occupy our thoughts with this glorious and heavenly honor of union with Christ.

We are special people.

We are one with Christ.

The Beauty Of The Church

2012-12-07T07:47:00.000+08:00

You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.
(Song of Solomon 4:7)

The Lord's description of His Church is wonderful: You are all fair, my love.

The Church is pure.

She is washed in Christ's sin-atoning blood.

She is clothed in Christ's meritorious righteousness.

In her, the Lord sees holiness, glory, and perfection.

The Church is lovely.

Her deformities of sin are removed.

A meritorious righteousness is given to her.

Actual beauty is conferred upon her.

The Church is superlatively beautiful.

"O Fairest among women." (Song of Solomon 1:8)

Her real worth and excellence cannot be rivaled by all the nobility and royalty of the world.

The Church is beautiful in the eyes of the Lord.

Rebuke With Love

2012-12-04T08:57:00.000+08:00

You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord. ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. (Leviticus 19:16-17)

Tale-bearing injures the teller, the hearer, and the person concerning whom the tale is told.

Whether the report is true or false, we are forbidden to spread it.

The reputations of the Lord's people is very precious. We should be shameful to help the devil to dishonor the Church and the name of the Lord.

Many glory in pulling down their brethren, and raising themselves.

Let it be our rule and our personal commitment not to speak evil of any man.

The Holy Spirit, however, permits us to censure sin, and prescribes the way to do it.

It must be done by rebuking our brother to his face, not by talking behind his back.

Let us love our brethren but not condone their sins. Let us rebuke them with love and pray for a changing of their heart.

Do What Our Hand Finds To Do

2012-12-03T07:49:00.000+08:00

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

There are many things which our heart desires to do which we never do. We are content with forming schemes in our heart, and talking of them.

But if we want to be found eminently useful, we must carry out what our hand finds to do.

Let us not wait for opportunities. Let us just do the things we find to do, day by day.

We have no other time in which to live. The past is gone. The future has not arrived. We only have our present time.

Let us not wait until our experience has ripened into maturity before we attempt to serve God. Let us endeavor to serve God now, and do so with our might.

No man serves God by doing things tomorrow. If we want to honor Christ and be blessed, it is to do it today.

Whatever we want to do for Christ, let us do it with our heart, our soul, and our strength.

We may be weak. But we can seek God's help. Let us proceed with prayer and faith.

And when we have done what our hand finds to do, let us wait upon the Lord for His blessing.

Complete Fellowship With Christ

2012-12-01T07:34:00.000+08:00

If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
(1 John 1:6)

When we were united by faith to Christ, we were brought into complete fellowship with Him.

We were made one with Him.

His interests and ours became mutual and identical.

We have fellowship with Christ in His love. What He loves we love.

We have fellowship with Him in His desires. What He desires, we desire.

We have fellowship with Christ in His sufferings. We suffer when He suffers.

We have fellowship with Christ in His joys. We are happy when He is happy.

Christ's glory awaits our complete fellowship with Him.