1 Peter 5:6-11

6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up
in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
 8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring
lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith,
because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the
same kind of sufferings.
 10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you
have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm
and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Meditation:
1. It’s hard not to be anxious when we’re suffering.  Leaving everything to
God when we are desperate and stressed out seems difficult indeed.  But
Peter has a promise that will help.  Suffering lasts only for a little while.  God
will restore you, and make you strong.  And in His time will call you up to
heaven to share in His own eternal glory.  Whatever today’s pain, we have
the promise of strength, and the prospect of glory – forever.
2. Many things in today’s life cause anxiety for us – finances, jobs, school,
illness, conflict.
3. What anxieties do I have?  Write them down.  Read this passage again.  Cast
the cares upon God by telling Him my worries one by one and ask for His
guidance and care.

Prayer & Journaling:
The anxieties I have are: finances, job/ministry, leading as a husband, time-management...
God, I am willing to cast all my anxiety to you because you cares for me.

1 Peter 4:1-6

 1Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same
attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2As a result,
he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for
the will of God. 3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans
choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and
detestable idolatry. 4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into
the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5But they will have
to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6For this
is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that
they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according
to God in regard to the spirit.

Reflection:
1. Peter describes the Roman world of his day as a society that has lost its mind
in excess.  Violence, oppression, cruelty, the abuse of power, and sexual
insanity dominate the landscape.  How is it possible for Christians to maintain
sexual sanity in a sexually overheated society?  At school, teens ridicule
Christian young people for not being involved in drinking and premarital sex.
Coworkers can’t understand why we don’t stop off at the local bar after work
to get drunk on Friday night.  And yet so many non-Christians quite sincerely
ask, “What do you do for fun?” They think it strange that we don’t plunge
with them into the same flood of dissipation.
2. And, as Peter warned, they “heap abuse on you.”  When that happens,
remember that you have been transformed by the love of Jesus.  With God’s
help, I will determine to be done with sin.  And my calling is to do the “will
of God”(v2)—to speak the truth of the gospel into the lives of those who do
not  yet know Christ as Lord.
3. Take some time to be silent before God and reflect:  How big is the influence
of the world, its trend, culture or value, to me? How can I live my life out
in contrast with those around me, but continue to pursue God’s mission in
building restored relationships with them?

Personal Note:
What makes me different than people of this world?  Do I follow the same trend, culture, and value?

For example, the world value individual that climbs the social ladder with education, career advancement, wealth, and status for bringing glory to the individual.  Jesus Christ value followers that reaches down the social ladder by using the gift of education, career, resources, and influences for brining the good news of Christ as part of God's work of redemption.

1 Peter 3:13-18

 13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you
should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear;
do not be frightened.” 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be
prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear
conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in
Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer
for doing good than for doing evil. 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the
righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the
body but made alive by the Spirit,

Meditation:
1. It is always difficult to suffer unjustly.  Peter did not always understand this.
When Jesus first taught that the Messiah must suffer and die unjustly, Peter
attempted to stop Jesus.  However, Peter now understands that unjust
suffering could bear the most surprising fruit.   Peter reminds us that Jesus
suffered innocently too.  And yet through the injustice of Christ’s suffering,
He brought us to God (v18).   And God turned injustice into a means of grace
and of blessing for all mankind.
2. When we suffer unjustly, we can be sure that God hasn’t forgotten or forsaken
us.  And out of the evil God will bring some very real good.   Therefore, Peter
says that if injustice happens, “you are blessed.”
3. Have I ever experienced unjust treatment or hardship because of following
the Lord?  Pray and ask God to show me how I might imitate Jesus today, this
week, this month.

Personal Note:
There was a time when I received the call to pursue vocational ministry back in 2007.  I was leaving behind the lucrative (money making) trading business, leaving behind the comfort of the small group, and leaving the relationship at that time due to incompatibility.  I have to admit that the hardship was nothing compare to the suffering from people being persecuted from their faith.  I did felt lonely, confused, worried, and did questioned why God was leading me down that path.

Now looking back, the hardship enable to grow closer to God and I thank God for the experiences.  I would not enjoy God's blessings and presences if I did not obey Him.

Today, the hardship that we are enduring in following the LORD comes from pressure from the world we live in.  We are tempted to pursue all sorts of talents (music, athletics, extra academics) or forced to engage in them by parents at the expense of neglecting the time needed to cultivate the relationship with God.  The challenge is how to encourage one another to pursuit a deeper relationship with God in the midst of the pressures from our society (school, music, athletic,  parents, friends).

1 Peter 2:11-17

 11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from
sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the
pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good
deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
 13Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among
men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who
are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do
right. 15For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk
of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up
for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the
brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an
example, that you should follow in his steps.

Meditation:
1. Early Christians were at times criticized as misfits because they did not take
part in worship at social events honouring the Emperor or state deities.
Yet, the earliest investigation by Roman authorities reports that in Christian
meetings they bound themselves by oath to live good lives, to pray for the
Emperor, and to obey the authorities.
2. A life of submission to authorities will not prevent us from being slandered
or unfairly treated.  But using our freedom to live as God’s servant in our
society, to be good citizens in our community, will surely win praises from
people and bring glory to God.
3. What can I do to be good citizen of my city, province and nation?  What are
the things I need to do but haven’t done?  Ask God to help me.

Personal Note:
Our natural sinful desires want us to disobey authorities (government, bosses, teachers, parents, etc).  It is unfortunate that many who called themselves followers of Christ are making excuses for not submitting to authorities.  To reflect our love for Christ and to be a good witness for Christ, let us be obedient to authorities out of the freedom we have in Christ.

1 Peter 1:13-22

13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope
fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient
children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
15But just as he who called you is holy, so; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because
I am holy.”
 17Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your
lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with
perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty
way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious
blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20He was chosen before
the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified
him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
 22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have
sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

Meditation:
1. Peter’s call to holiness can be confusing and intimidating.  We are often
bombarded by the media depicting “holy” people as stiff, sexuality repressed,
boring, lifeless, self-righteous, judgemental, and deeply hypocritical.  Yet the
picture we see in the Bible is that to be holy is to be transformed into Christ’s
image.
2. While Jesus was on earth, sinful people flocked to him, while self-righteous
folk tended to avoid an encounter.  Peter experienced firsthand Christ’s
penetrating, loving holiness, and even after his greatest mistakes he couldn’t
keep away from Jesus.  How are holiness and love related?  Peter further
instructed: “have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply,
from the heart”.
3. Pray.  Ask God to teach me to live an authentic holy life that is different and
separated from the world.

Personal Note:
Holiness means being set apart to be more like Christ.  God is love.  Jesus Christ is God.  A person who is holy is also a loving person.  I can love sincerely when I have experience the holiness of God's love.

At times, I feel tired from caring and loving for others.  Coming back to God in prayer and resting in Him is the only way to keep on serving and loving others.

2 Timothy 4:1-8

 1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the
dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke
and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will
come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own
desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and
turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,
do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
 6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come
for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me,
but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Meditation:
1. Paul has known plenty of discouragement, and abundant persecution.  But
he looked back over his life with a sense of satisfaction.  Through it all, Paul
kept on serving.  He fought a good fight.  He ran a good race.  He kept the
faith.  And now he looked forward to his reward.
2. Paul wants us to know that God has the same reward for each of us.  We have
lived our life here aware that this earth is temporary, and all its pleasures
are passing.  We have yearned not for the things of earth, but for Jesus to
return.  And this longing has kept us, as it kept Paul, faithfully committed to
whatever ministry God has given us.

Personal Note:
I am young and the people I chill with are young.  The charge that Paul gave to Timothy is like my supervisor   giving me the charge to proclaim the Gospel.  As followers of Christ, we look for reward in heaven.  I give the charge to the young people to fight a good fight for God's kingdom.  The foundation for eternal life is develop when one is young.  This generation is consider a generation that is lost and confused.  God delights in us when we are like Timothy, who obeyed Paul's charge in spreading the Gospel.

2 Timothy 3:1-5, 15-17

 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers
of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their
parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without selfcontrol,

brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its
power. Have nothing to do with them.
15and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able
to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is
God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good work.

Meditation:
1. Paul’s remarks here, in fact, are directed and relevant to our own age,
considering that modern culture, in general, tends to be self-absorbed, selfpromoting,
cynical, and addicted to lust.

2. Read the passages again slowly.  Notice the big change from the first
paragraph to the second.
• How does the way the Scripture moves us (v 16) help us to be different
from the general culture?
• Scripture is God-breathed – words breathed to me from our relational
God, not a bunch of rules.  Picture God speaking to me in “teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.
3. Can I imagine God doing these things in ways exactly right for me?  In gentle
yet firm ways?  To rescue me before I mess up?  Ask God to help me be open
to him.  Ask God to show me specific details that I need to know at this
moment.
4. Imagine such an interactive life with God, one in which all day long I
experience him gently showing me truth, exposing my rebellion, correcting
my mistakes, and training me to live his way.  Would this be the best way to
live?  Why?

Personal Note:
What is there to protect me from the influences of this world?

I am influenced with the desire to get rich, to indulge in lust, pleasure, to become powerful and successful, to live a comfortable live without regards to the suffering of this world, and to become indifferent and live for myself only.

God's Words speak to me personally.  All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every
good work.  The person who is able to lead others to Christ must love God and His Words!

2 Timothy 2:22-26

 22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace,
along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don’t have anything
to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce
quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind
to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must
gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to
a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape
from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Meditation:
1. Slowly read these verses.  Imagine Paul is sitting beside me, speaking these
words to me directly.  How do I feel when I hear them?  What part of the
passage resonates most with me?  Why?  Maybe the “evil desires of youth”
seem a little patronizing.  Maybe I just like to have “foolish and stupid
arguments”, or there is still bitterness in me that I get into “quarrels” a lot.
Perhaps Christian maturity such as “be kind to everyone, able to teach, not
resentful” seems impossible or defeating.  Maybe with some people I’ve lost
hope that they might “come to their senses”.
2. Continue to sit in a comfortable position being as still and silent as possible.
Silent, still.  Listen for the gentle whisper of God’s voice in the midst of
the silence.  Maybe he will show me a spot of childishness or one of
righteousness.  Maybe he will offer me hope.
3. Continue to sit in silence and explore what God might want me to do with
this instruction.  How am I to live it out today? This week? This month?

Personal Note:
I am challenged to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart v.22.  I find that unless I hang out with brothers and sisters with the same passion, my faith and passion fades away very quickly.  I recall in TC, we are all applying this verse, and the passion and energy was there to pursue after God.

Regarding a pure heart, as I reflected upon my own journey and given the fact that there is a "No Macking" rule in TC, I realize that I never really pursue after Christ with a pure heart.  I came to God because I wanted a girlfriend.  I came to God because I wanted to be rich and successful.  I came to God because I am desperate in leading the church.  The only pure motivation for pursuing faith, love, and peace, etc is out of the love for God in response to the love that God has for me.

I know that I will never ever be totally pure when I come to God.  I am willing to lay down my sins by the grace of God and be shaped and used for His purpose.

2 Timothy 1:6-12

6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you
through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
 8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.
But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved
us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because
of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before
the beginning of time, 10but it has now been revealed through the appearing
of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel. 11And of this gospel I was appointed a
herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I
am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that
he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Meditation:
1. It’s amazing what some people are willing to suffer for.  Athletes are willing
to suffer through training to receive a gold medal.  Some are willing to
suffer to reach a mountaintop.  Some are willing to suffer to obtain certain
physique.  Others sacrifice home and family to make more money on a job
that takes them constantly on the road. Some sacrifice everything at the
altar of their children. Others suffer through heartbreak after heartbreak as
they seek “the one” perfect husband/wife.
2. Paul asks us to suffer for something far more worthwhile.  The Gospel is
that amazing expression of God’s grace, revealed in Christ’s appearance,
that announces God’s victory over death and invites everyone to come to
Him for “life and immortality”.  Now that is something worth suffering for.
Besides, our times of suffering become spiritually significant when they are
induced by faithful discipleship and when we see them as opportunities to
rely on the power of God.
3. Recall one experience of suffering in the past.  Consider how God through
this suffering brought transformation to my life?  What deeper understanding
and appreciation of God have I gained from it?

Personal Note:
The most recent suffering is the lack of sleep and energy from TC.  I was physically and emotionally drained.  I was taught to rely on God alone and it takes God's strength to serve Him faithfully.

1 Timothy 4:6-16

I have been away for pretty much the whole week for TC and I am catching up on my devotion on 1 Timothy.  For this devotion, I would like to meditate on 1 Timothy 4:6-16.  1 Timothy 4:12 is a favourite verse for many young people. "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are
young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith
and in purity."

This letter written by Paul to Timothy is called a pastoral letter.  Paul being an older and wise mentor was training Timothy, who was younger, but yet passionate for Jesus Christ.  I pray that as we meditate on God's Words, we are encouraged to serve one another faithfully for God's glory.


 6If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of
Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that
you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales;
rather, train yourself to be godly. 8For physical training is of some value, but
godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and
the life to come.  9This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance
10(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God,
who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.  11Command
and teach these things. 12Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are
young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith
and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture,
to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, which was given you
through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone
may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in
them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Meditation:
1. People work out to develop themselves physically.  Christians are to “work
out” to develop spiritually.  A weight lifter develops his skill by lifting weights.
A Christian develops his ability to live a godly life by making godly choices.
To grow spiritually, I need to concentrate on those acts which show my love
for God and for others.
2. On a scale of one to ten – one being spiritual flabbiness and ten being
spiritually fit – how would I rate my spiritual fitness?  Why?  How well am I
“teaching believers with my life” in these five areas: “by word, by demeanor,
by love, by faith, by integrity”?  How could I make my life a better example
for others in these areas?
3. Write these five words on an index card: word, demeanor, love, faith, and
integrity.  Ask God to help me live out these areas throughout the day.

1 Timothy 1:3-7

3As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you
may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote
themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies
rather than God’s work—which is by faith. 5The goal of this command is love,
which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Some
have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7They want to
be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what
they so confidently affirm.

Meditation:
1. In his letters Paul often emphasized the importance of teaching “sound
doctrine” as well as guarding against those who teach “false doctrines.”
Paul noted that teaching sound doctrine produces a distinctive lifestyle
characterized by love, “which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience
and a sincere faith” (v5).
2. God’s truth has the power to stimulate faith, to cleanse the conscience, and
purify the heart, because God’s truth is in fact, the Truth—Jesus (John 14:6).
A person touched by Truth will become a loving, caring individual.  We are
not to fight for God’s Truth.  We are to open our hearts to the Truth, and let
Him transform us.
3. Stay quiet before God and consider the following:
• Does my love come from a pure heart? Or has it been contaminated
by self-centeredness?  Ask God to help remove the selfishness in my life.
• Is my love real, and from a good conscience, not fake? Ask for courage
to be authentic with God, others and myself.
• Does my life and love demonstrate a sincere faith in God? Or is it
closed off, or resistant to God and His purposes?  Ask God to give me
the willingness to be more open to his purposes, even if doing so feels
uncertain and scary.
4. Am I willing to live and love selflessly, authentically, and openly today?

Hebrew 13:5-9

5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have,
because God has said,  “Never will I leave you;   never will I forsake you.”  6So
we say with confidence,    “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.   What can
man do to me?”   7Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday and today and forever.   9Do not be carried away by all kinds
of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by
ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.

MEDITATION
1. Read the passage aloud.  Spend time pondering the connection the writer
is making between obsession with material possessions and the belief that
God will never leave us or let us down.  What do you make of this?  How are
the two ideas related to each other?
2. Take several minutes to explore my life in light of this instruction.  How do I
relate to material things?  Do I often wish I had more?  Do I feel that nothing
can harm me because of what I have?  What fears do I have about God
letting me down?  What would it be like to “be content with what I have”?
Talk with Him about this subject.  Attentively listen for his input.
3. Prayer.  May I keep my life free from the love of money and be content with
what I have, for You have said, “I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you.”
Pause to notice my internal reaction to what I’m saying.  Ask God to change
my reluctance and unwillingness.

Personal Note:  Am I content with what I have today?  During TC, I will host a workshop on money, sex, and power to the teens.  If a person is not content with what he/she has when he/she is young, it is very difficult for that person to be content when he/she gets older.  As I reflect in my life, there was a period when I was materialistically abundant and I was hardly content.  Today, my earnings and my lifestyle is simpler and I am relatively content and at peace.

Hebrew 12:7-13

 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not
disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes
discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we
have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How
much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers
disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for
our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at
the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness
and peace for those who have been trained by it.  12Therefore, strengthen your
feeble arms and weak knees. 13”Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame
may not be disabled, but rather healed.

MEDITATION
1. Read the passage aloud slowly.  Read the passage again.
2. How might God use the “trouble you’re in” to train you?  Don’t jump on
the first thing that comes to mind.  Sit quietly for a while and see what God
brings to mind.  How might I cooperate better with God in this training?
Once again, the first thing that comes to mind might not be from God, but
an old tape from the past.  So take time to listen.
3. Pray.  Ask the Spirit to search my heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed
sin.  Take some time to confess and repent before the Lord and thank Him
for His forgiveness.

Personal Note:
"God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness."

God is disciplining me to shape me to become more like him, which means holiness.  Currently, I am disciplined in intense studying for the interview from the organization overseeing my church.  As a pastor, I am required to be doctrinally competent.  I need prayer for diligence studying and reflecting on my core beliefs.

Hebrew 11:1-3

 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
2This is what the ancients were commended for.  3By faith we understand that
the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made
out of what was visible.
 39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what
had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only
together with us would they be made perfect.

MEDITATION
1. If time allows, read all Hebrews 11, but focus on verses 1-3 and 39-40.
2. This familiar passage is often called the Faith Hall of Fame.  Some of the
people listed made great personal sacrifices to bring glory to God.  We’ve
all heard, and possibly even uttered, the saying “seeing is believing”.  The
writer of Hebrews begins with a definition of faith.  Faith, he writes, is “being
sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”.  So, really, not
seeing… is believing.
3. Pray: By God’s grace I want to live to the end in faith, knowing that I will
not receive the promises on earth, but seeing them and welcoming them
from a distance, I confess that I am a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth.
Instead, I long for a better country, a heavenly one.  In this way, God will not
be ashamed to be called my God, for He has prepared a city for me.  Like
Moses, may I esteem reproach for the sake of Christ as of greater value than
the treasures of this world, because I am looking to the reward.

Personal Note: God, I believe in your promise.  I am certain you are my God and you love us.

Hebrews 10:19-25

19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by
the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain,
that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let
us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies
washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for
he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another
on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some
are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as
you see the Day approaching.

Meditation
1. Both v23 and 6:19 mention the hope: “hold unswervingly to the hope we
profess” (v23) and “this hope” (6:19).  What is “the reason for the hope” (1
Peter 3:15) that I have?  Many Christians feel the tension of being Christians
in this secular society and find it difficult to share their faith with others.
When was the last time I felt free to express my faith in Jesus Christ and the
hope that this gives me?
2. Christian fellowship and gatherings provide opportunities for believers to
care for one another, encourage one another, etc.  This week, share in my
cell meeting the difficulty I have in sharing my faith with others.  Ask the
other members to pray for me and to encourage each other.
3. During my quiet time alone today take a moment to ask God for the strength
to express my faith in all circumstances.

Personal Note on March 5's devotion:

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith (v.22).

I can have full confident that when I approach God in prayer, in reflecting His Words, and in feeling how he speaks to me in my life's circumstances.  My guilt and shame has been taken away through the blood of Christ.

Hebrews 9:23-28

 23It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified
with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these. 24For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a
copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s
presence. 25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way
the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his
own. 26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of
the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do
away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Just as man is destined to die once,
and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the
sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to
bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

MEDITATION
1. There was a kidney patient, whose dialysis machine kept him alive.  Yet he
dreaded the process.  The kidney dialysis machine that kept him alive also
reminded him of his illness.  He was not free, but bound to return to the
machine to have his blood purified his again and again.  Away from it, his
sickness quickly took hold on his body, and sapped all his strength.
2. That’s just what Hebrews 9 says about the Old Testament system (vv 6-9).
The repeated sacrifices of the Old Testament system reminded worshipers
of their continuing desperate condition.  But, the one sacrifice of Christ
reminds us of His total victory.  The blood of Christ has cleansed us from all
sin!  By one sacrifice Jesus has made us well, and guaranteed victory!  We
are the lame, called to leap and dance.  We are the blind, called to see.  We
are the deaf who now hear.  By the once for all sacrifice of Jesus, we are
forgiven, made well, and called to face life rejoicing in the assurance that the
victory we need has already been won!
3. Do I let Christ’s one sacrifice free me to live confidently and joyously?  Do I
let myself be dragged back into sin by the weight of my past?  Remember,
because of Jesus, the past has no hold on me anymore.  Thank God for this.

Personal Note:
Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross is sufficient for me.  I am free to live confidently and joyously.  I am no longer bound by the sins of the past.

Hebrew 8:8-13

8But God found fault with the and said:    “The time is coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah.    9It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took
them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful
to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.  10This is the
covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.  I will be their
God, and they will be my people.   11No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or
a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from
the least of them to the greatest.   12For I will forgive their wickedness and will
remember their sins no more.”  13By calling this covenant “new,” he has made
the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

MEDITATION
1. “New” and “Free” are two catchy words for any salesperson.  It also says
here that the old system of Law didn’t work (vv 7, 9, 13) and was “obsolete
and aging”.  The New Covenant provides total forgiveness for all our wicked
acts (v 12).  Because Christ has paid the ransom, God no longer holds us
accountable for our sins.  The Old Covenant engraved standards that men
were unable to meet on tablets of stone.  The New Covenant engraves
the desire to please God in our inmost being, and moves us to what Law
demanded, but could not produce.
2. When it comes to faith, “new!” means for people who have tried everything
else, and can turn to Jesus and find themselves forgiven and renewed.  And,
it is “free”.  The salvation offered us in Christ, costs us nothing.
3. Meditate the following paragraph:  We ought to be Christians in large type,
so that it would not be necessary for others to be long in our society, or to
regard us through spectacles, in order to detect our true discipleship.  The
message of our lives should resemble the big advertisements which can be
read on the street by all who pass by.  – F. B. Meyer
How big is my “Disciple billboard”? Pray that the Lord will enlarge it to
become more and more visible to those passing by.

Personal Note:
Christianity is not about following rules and regulations in order to go to heaven.  Our faith in Christ is our desire to follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour.  It is a relationship with God.  God gave all of us a desire to worship Him.  We become who we are made to be when we worship God.