Warning Against Unbelief: Hebrews 3:7-18

Hebrews 3:12-13
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

It's hard to keep an open heart and mind that's always pointed to God. With all the distractions in this world, our attention is easily turned away to something else other than God in a split second by our sinful, worldly desires, but with the accountability of other fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, this obligation... actually, not even obligation... this desire to keep God as number one in all aspects of your life will be made much easier.

With the support of my best friends and also with my family at the fellowship back at the university, I've never felt so compelled to keep God at the centre of my life. At first, I just never cared. Yes, I knew Jesus was my saviour and that He saved me from my sins but my heart was still cold. I could be described as a lukewarm Christian back then. We know what happens to these people.

Revelations 3:16
So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

That sounds terrible. Now, things have changed. I do have a growing desire to learn more about God, to know more about Jesus. I've been called to serve in different ministries and I hope that this fire in my heart will not die. Through my own experiences, I understand how important it is to have that circle of friends who can keep you on track in your spiritual walk with God. Again, it's so easy to fall away but that's what the others are there for. To help you get back up and walk on the right path again.

Hebrews 3:18-19
And to whom did God swear that they would never enter the rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.

Unbelief doesn't only account for those who haven't experienced God's love. It also includes those individuals who don't care, who don't trust, who don't follow. One who claims that they are a Christ follower may still be an unbeliever as they do not act the way a Christian should or still doesn't trust that He is in control of all things. I was one of them... but now I have matured and grown into one who's firm in belief when I say that God is the sovereign Lord. Jesus is my saviour and I live my life for him. Don't be one of those people. You have been warned because these people will not get to be with God in his heavenly and peaceful presence when we die and are reborn.

Jesus Greater Than Moses: Hebrews 3:1-6

As mentioned in this passage, Moses was a faithful servant in God's house. He did what the Lord asked him to do.
You and I are part of God's house. We should follow Moses' example and testifying for the Lord's mercy and grace upon us.

Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus was greater than Moses. Jesus was faithful as the son over God's house. He watches over me. He cares for me. He loves me. He gave His life for me. I love Him because He first loved me.

Hebrews 3:6
...but Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Jesus Made Like His Brothers: Hebrews 2:5-18

Yesterday was Christmas. Christmas is the day when we celebrate the birth of our saviour Jesus. He was born into this world as a baby in a manger. It definitely wasn't the arrival we would expect our Lord and King to have. He lived as a humble man among us, living His life to serve His Father and teach us how to live a life glorifying to Him.

Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

All praise and honour be brought back to Jesus! Through his atonement for the sin of mankind He died a painful death on the cross. Through Him we are saved. Through his death we are now seen as righteous in the eyes of God.

Jesus was just like our brother. He shared the same humanity as us so that he can free us from Satan's grasp on us with our fear of death. We have no fear in that anymore as Jesus has blessed us with eternal life in Heaven with Him and the Heavenly Father.

Warning to Pay Attention: Hebrews 2:1-4

Hebrews 2:1-3
We must pay more carefull attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?

We can get so caught up with all the business in our life that we put God on the backburner. At times He comes second on the list of things we should be paying attention to... but that's not how it should be. Jesus should be number one in all aspects of our life. He granted us this life that we live now, one where we are free from the law of sin and redeemed to live a life to glorify Him. Let's not forget that all we do now is thanks to Him. Honestly, we would probably be punished very often for each time we disobey the Lord or for each time we do things that are sinful and not Godly. This personal salvation that has been granted to us should be at the forefront of our minds so that we can always reminisce the sacrifice that He has made and how all things we do should be for Him alone. Not for ourselves, for Jesus. :)

The Son Superior to Angels: Hebrews 1:1-14

Jesus is higher than all on this earth. Jesus is higher than the angels. Jesus is the son of God. Jesus is God. He sits at the right hand of the Lord's throne.

Jesus took on my sins and died on the cross for me. I've been purchased by his blood so that I may be forgiven. I've been granted eternal life with the Lord through Jesus. He took on the wrath of His father when I should have been the one being punished for the wrongdoings I've committed in this life.

Jesus Christ was perfect. I aim to live my life like Him.

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

I do all things for Your glory. Without you, nothing on this earth would exist in the first place. I do all things so that I can help you achieve your perfect will for me. You're sovereign and let everything that has breath praise you to the heavens. :)

Personal Greetings: Romans 16:1-27

Romans 16:17-18
I urge you, brothers, to watch out those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

May we stand our for our faith. Not be afraid of what others think. May we stand firm when everyone else tries to bring us down. May we not be tempted by the desires our flesh and of wordly possesions. All of this is achieved when we believe in Jesus, how He set us free by taking our sins away. May our lives glorify Him in all we do. :)

I am finished the book of Romans! :D The very first book that I've finished from front to back! I've learned so much, and I hope to learn even more as I start the book of Hebrews.

Paul's Plan to Visit Rome: Romans 15:23-33

Prayer is so powerful. Prayer is our quiet time with God. Prayer is the time we confess and repent from our sins. Prayer is the time when we get to praise You and praise Your son Jesus for taking my sins away and granting me eternal salvation. Prayer is our way to talk to You, to converse with You.

Paul asks for prayers as he travels to Judea to spread the Gospel. I thought that verses 30-33 is a good example of what we should be doing for our peers: joining together in prayer for a cause. It is truly by the love of the Spirit that can change and encourage one another. It is through prayer that we can call on the Holy Spirit to watch over a friend who's encountering obstacles, to heal a friend who's been sick, to show a population of people of Your mercy and love, to thank You for everything You've blessed us with.

For me, I pray that I will not doubt what You have in store for me. May I trust in You that You have Your ways with me and that I will be a pawn so that I can help fulfill your perfect will. I pray for all aspects of my life: academic, social, spiritual, relationships.... that You may reveal to me what You want and what I can do for You to achieve it. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles: Romans 15:14-22

Paul, by the grace of God, wrote almost half of the entire Bible through his letters and epistles to different people. They're filled with encouragement, lessons to live life by, warnings, and anything that we should hear about.
Paul himself is a true model of how to live a Godly life.

Romans 15:16
...to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Paul states with certainty of his mission: to evangelize, to proclaim the Gospel. to spread the Good News to all people. Man, I wish I could be as bold as him. Although I won't be like Paul, speaking to an entire population, I'll be working on the Great Commission and hoping to bring my non-Christian friends to my loving God. May our goal be to live like Jesus, with the stepping stone of becoming like Paul first. :)

The Weak and the Strong: Romans 14:1-15:13

Romans 14:2
One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.

God always provides for your needs. All you have to do is ask with a humble heart. The analogy in the above verse basically explains this fact. When you have faith that God is the provider of life, you will get the things you need, in this case, meat. When you doubt that God can do such a thing, he won't be revealed to the wonders that God can do and thus would end up eating only vegetables and have no meat.

God does provide. Especially during this time of exams, He has been giving me hours of concentration and focus in my studies which I wouldn't have been able to do without His assistance. The constant reminder that I should be glorifying God in my studies is already enough.

At the same time, do not boast or show off the blessings that God has put in your life. The blessings are not meant to be used in such a way. Use your blessings to build your peers up. Use your blessings to show to non-believers of the love our God has for us. Think wisely.

Romans 14:8
If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

We were purchased by Christ's blood on the cross. Through Jesus, who took my sins and was punished on the cross by His very own father, redeemed me and I have received my personal salvation from Him. As I live my life here on Earth, everything I do is for You. Jesus deserves all the glory and honour and praise. Nothing I do now is simply by me, but from the guidance and provision of the Lord. I'm alive and well because the Spirit is within me.

Romans 14:13
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

I have no right to judge someone else. The first reason being that I would be a hypocrite. I'm sure that some of the things that I judge on others I actually do myself. Second reason being I am not God. God being so sovereign and almighty is the only one who can judge someone with the most perfect mindset and purest reasoning.
Also, as a Christian, it's important that you help others in their own spiritual walk with God. Putting temptations, distractions, or other things that makes them stray away from the Lord is not what a brother/sister in Christ should do. Help your brothers and sisters to stay on the straight, one-way path to God while preventing them from getting attacked by Satan... not the other way around.

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

God's kingdom doesn't consist of worldly pleasures such as partying, hanging out with friends, going on vacation, etc. It's being righteous in God's eyes and rejoicing in the Holy Spirit dwelling in our life. The lesson from this verse: don't get caught up in these activities that are only temporary. Always remember that it's the Lord Jesus Christ who gives us the most joy above all things.

Romans 15:2-6
Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our lord Jesus Christ.

God really spoke to me with these verses. Very straightforward, full of lessons and encouragement. Paul was so blessed to be able to write down what God had to say in such beautiful writing.

Wow. This devo passage was much longer than other passages but God has spoken and I pray now that I can apply this to my own life, and be a bright light that shines Your name.

I'll end off with the last verse. So encouraging! :)

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Love, For the Day is Near: Romans 13:8-14

We are told to not to steal, gossip, covet, murder and do many other things. The consequences of these are almost the same: it ends up hurting someone. God commanded us to "love your neighbour as yourself". We would never want this to happen to ourselves so why do you do it?

Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.

A life where no physical, mental, verbal, emotional harm is put on your peers or other people around you is a life you ought to be living. As a Christ follower, you should be an example to others about this.

In addition, the returning of Christ draws nearer and nearer. We still don't know when He'll be back but when the day comes, you want to be ready for Him. You want to be shameless, you want to show Jesus how He has impacted your life... and this would be a good way to achieve that. Drop all intentions of hurting someone because you have feelings of revenge, sadness, or anger. Love them as you love yourself. God will be pleased and He will deal with the situation Himself. No need for you to worry and be sinful from it.

God, I want to pray that we continue to rely on the strength of Jesus Christ so that we do not succumb to our sinful desires from our body. May we anticipate the joy from obtaining a new, holy body as we enter Your heavenly realm and forget about our worldly materials and intentions. Amen.

Submission to the Authorities: Romans 13:1-6

Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

It's hard to believe what the above verse says. In today's society we see news and hear stories about governments in other parts of the world that are corrupt, that persecute their people... and so many other horrible reasons. However, it's important to realize that God appointed these people in hopes that they will reign and govern the people with dignity and for our good. Obviously if that is not the case (when authority takes their power for granted), God will have justice. There's no need for us to worry about that except to live our Godly lives to the best of our abilities.
I am so thankful to live in Canada, a country where I can freely worship and proclaim my faith. I will be praying for those who live in countries who are under persecution. May God deal with the government in these countries accordingly so that the people there can continue to be a light for others there.

Romans 13:4
For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

It's simple. Follow the rules. Obey the law. Then you won't get punished, won't go to jail.
It's simple. Follow God's rules. Obey God's law. Then you won't get punished and you'll get to be in heaven with Him.

Living Sacrifices: Romans 12:1-8

Yay! I now call this my third favourite passage in the book of Romans.

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spritiual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is00 his good, pleasing and perfect will.

These two verses were so encouraging and were a good reminder of what I should be doing. I remember around this time last year, I wouldn't be doing my devos, or conversing with God, or doing much at all with Him. I saw it as an obligation and just never ended up doing it. I didn't find joy reading the Word.
It was in the summer, and especially the start of this school year when He really spoke to me. He gave renewed me and through it I gained a thirst to learn more of Him. I had a passion to actually do my devos, not because I need to but I want to. I became more involved with my fellowship, serving as worship leader and soon to be bedside leader for the retreat.
I ask myself why God all of a sudden placed this on me? I mean, it's not bad or anything but why specifically this year? After reading, I realized why.
I never realized the magnitude of God's love and His mercy when He sent his son, so glorious and holy, to this world as a humble man, later on the be crucified on the cross for the sins of mankind. He took it all, became the sin of this world, and died. He took away our sin. Through Jesus we were forgiven.
God already made the ultimate sacrifice for me and nothing can compare to that. His conviction for me to serve and to be interested and in love with the Word is just comparably a small sacrifice for Him. "Take my life and let it be all for You and for Your glory." That's all of me that I give to You now, for You to do as is pleasing and is glorifying. God would You use me for your perfect will, and in time may I be revealed to Your plan for me. May I study hard and live a Godly life so that each step I take it will take me closer to You.
May I not be so consumed with materials of this world and rejoice in what's to come. May I not conform to those around me from peer pressure or from the cultural paradigms of this world but rather live a life so that when people see me, they'll know that I love You.

To paraphrase, our body has many members, all with different functions. As a body of Christ we all have our different gifts that is to be used for Him. My gifts by the grace of God: musical worship and encouragement. May everyone be thankful and be blessed by these gifts that God has generously given and use it to please Him.

I have a friend whom I met in September. He's been a blessing to my life. It's been a tough time for Him in this past while but God, just thank-You for his honesty. He shared his personal blog with me and personally, I felt so happy and appreciated because he trusted me. I pray that he will continue searching for answers through You and that this obstacle in his life will soon be overcome by Your grace and healing hand. This is the perfect time for me to use my gifts as well haha. Serving together for worship has been a blast and I hope it doesn't end anytime soon, but through it all may I just be a constant encouragement, a helping hand, a shoulder for support for you. You're awesome. You know it. I know it. God knows it. :)

Doxology: Romans 11:33-36

Romans 11:36
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

God, You're awesome and I love you. Let everything that has breath praise You and You alone. May you use me for your perfect will and may I live out this life you've blessed me so that it is pleasing to You. Help us remember to keep You at the forefront of our minds because to You be all the glory, honour, and praise. Through your son Jesus Christ we are saved and our role now is to spread the good news and soften the hearts of others so that You can draw near to them. Thank You for the blessings You've placed in my life. :)

All Israel Will Be Saved: Romans 11:25-32

Romans 11:32
For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Our God is so loving, full of grace, powerful, merciful. Even though we continue to fall into sin almost all the time, God still accepts us and has mercy on us. Personally, I find it so encouraging that with all the mistakes I make in my life, the temptations that I fall to... God still forgives me for everything. In addition, if it wasn't for Jesus Christ taking God's wrath on himself for the world, then God would have probably punished all of us already. What a scary thought.
Delight in the love that God has for us. He's the one who gives us a new day on earth.

Ingrafted Branches: Romans 11:11-24

There's a very important lesson that comes with this passage today.

Never boast about your faith in a way that brings others down or puts you in authority over others. Yes, God wants you to let other nonbelievers know of His love for them by through amiable discussion but not actually bragging about it. Just imagine whether Jesus would act like that if He was telling someone of His faith in His Father. Don't be arrogant about your faith. As verse 17 explains this through an analogy, we also should not boast because we personally don't give back much in this relationship with Jesus. We continue to sin and we constantly ask God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. All we do is to try and live out a life that's as sinless as possible and pleasing to the Father. Not much else. Therefore, be humble in your words and actions and spread the Good News in a humble manner.

Romans 11:17
If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in."

The Remnant of Israel: Romans 11:1-10

There are basically two groups of people in the world. The Christ followers and the nonbelievers. When I say "nonbelievers", it definitely doesn't mean that all people in under this category are just cold and not open to God. This group includes people who just haven't heard of our glorious God... people who haven't felt or been exposed to the love that Christ has for us.

Romans 11:4-6
And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

God chose us to be a lover of God and of Jesus Christ even before we were born. From the start we don't deserve anything from our God because of all the sins that we commit but through His son's sacrifice for humankind on the cross, He has opened his arms for us... welcomes us into his family so that we can all strive to be like His precious son. It's out of love for God that we reflect Him in us to others like the nonbelievers.

It saddens me to know that I will not see some of my friends on this earth up in heaven when I go to be with my God. However, this encourages me to share my faith with them in hopes that they too will realize how awesome God is and the extreme significance of what Jesus did for them and me.

At the same time, for those who are just cold-hearted and reject God without any considerations, they will not experience the comfort and peaceful life with Him but rather their days on earth will be difficult, frightening, and scary. (verse 8-10). For those of you who are like this at the moment, it's ok. Stop now and let God change your life. Open up your heart to Him and He will do great things through you too :)

Israel's Unbelief: Romans 9:30-10:21

Paul tells us of the difference between the Israelites and the Gentiles.
The Gentiles were deemed righteous because they believed and had faith.
The Israelites are explained by verse 31.

Romans 9:31
but Israel, who purseued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.

We can never receive our salvation and be justified by works. That's not how it goes. God credits us righteousness when we believe and proclaim that His son Jesus was the one who took our sins away. By calling Jesus your saviour, you are guaranteed a spot in God's family and are adopted as a son or daughter of God. As an example of Jesus Christ to others, we should always be doing good works but relying on simply that to be saved will not do.

Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Believe with your heart and speak of the Gospel. Remember it is by faith! Through that God will open the gates of heaven for you. :)

God's Sovereign Choice: Romans 9:1-29

This passage was packed with so much insight from God. So much that I needed to search up bible studies done by others on this passage so that I can understand more of it.

Here is what I got out of it.

Romans 9:8

In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.

- You are not adopted into God's family until you believe in and say so yourself. God being almighty and all knowing as He is, knows whether you will be a Christ-follower even when you're still in your mother's womb but He expects that you to make that personal, voluntary choice to call Jesus your saviour and acknowledge God as Lord and Creator of all things.

Romans 9:16

It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

- Sometimes we see someone getting something they don't deserve... or someone not getting something that they deserve. Whenever I see that happening, I wonder "why does God allow that? It's not fair." But who am I to question God? He is sovereign and has perfect knowledge and reasoning for everything he decides and chooses. There must be a reason/explanation to why someone is getting something they don't deserve or why someone is not getting something that they deserve. It may not be clear to us why but God knows why. That's all we need to know. As a bible study that I read online said, all we can do is to "get with God's program".

*note to self: sovereign- possesing supreme and ultimate power

Romans 9:20-21

But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" Does not the potter have the right to make out the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

-God has a plan for each of us. It's a divine plan that's all laid out and we have to live out a life that is pleasing and glorifying to God in order to gradually complete His perfect will for us. We may not see our current life as extravagant, entertaining, or as good as others around you but it does not matter. God set up your life so that it can you can be a light for Him.

More Than Conquerors: Romans 8:28-39

This is the second passage that I really love so far in the book of Romans (the first one was Romans 6:1-14).

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Another school term is about to end. It will be studying everyday for the next two weeks until all exams have finished. My reflection of this term:
Academically- not much particular improvement... actually it's the opposite. I did so much better last year. This year from all the procrastination, laziness, no motivation to work has costed my marks.
Spiritually- significant growth these past couple of months! The passion to pick up my Bible and read the Word each day to see what God has in store for me has been a pleasant surprise for myself. I really do hope that this isn't just a phase, rather that this may become part of my daily routine because I want to do devos rather than have it as an obligation. In addition, just being called and convicted to be a worship leader this year at my fellowship. Feeling the Holy Spirit move in me and to use my (previously unknown haha) gift of singing to help open the hearts of the fellowship so that God can work in them is the highlight of this term.
I know that although academically I've been struggling, I know that God will provide for me. Ask and He will give. One thing to remember is to bring it all back to God. Everything you do should be glorifying to His name.

Romans 8:31
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Don't be ashamed in the Gospel. Don't be afraid to proclaim your faith. I still haven't gotten the chance to go out and do some random evangelizing. I hope that next term I will have an opportunity to do just that. In the meantime, I'm trying to sing praises to my God out in public. Earphones in and when I'm walking down the street, may God just give me the courage and boldness to cry out to Him. Who knows, maybe someone walking by will hear of what I sing and possibly plant a seed in their heart for God.

Paul really encourages me with these verses:

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seaparate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen to that! :)