Revelation 1:4-8

To the seven churches in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,
and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the
faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the
earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made
us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and
power for ever and ever! Amen.
7Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who
pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall
it be! Amen.
8”I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and
who is to come, the Almighty.”

Meditation:
1. Read the passage aloud and pay attention to the characteristics and actions
of God described in this passage.
2. Look at the sky, or close your eyes and reflect on how God has brought
victory to all mankind, including me.
3. What does the proclamation in v8 “I am alpha and omega” mean to my faith
and life today?

Personal Note:
Jesus Christ is the God eternal.  He is here from the beginning till the end.  Glory and power to Jesus Christ as we have conquered death and sin.

In the world I live in, we have this defeated attitude in almost every arenas in life.  I see people living out defeated attitude in their school life, social life, marriage, career, family, addictions, etc.  People are seeking to find victory and accomplishments through success in gaming, career, lust, etc...  As followers of Christ, we have overcome death and evil in this world, through the blood of Christ.

2 John

1The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and
not I only, but also all who know the truth - 2because of the truth, which lives in
us and will be with us forever: 3Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and
from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. 4It has given
me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father
commanded us. 5And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but
one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6And this
is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the
beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

Meditation
1. A person who “walks in truth” lives in harmony with spiritual and moral
reality. Therefore, we walk “in the truth” if our lives are marked by holiness
and by love. The Christian life is a dynamic pilgrimage of self-giving. It is not
a comfortable resting place of self-indulgence.
2. On a scale of one to ten (with one being the lowest and ten being the
highest), how would I rank my “love quotient”? How might my friends rank
my love quotient? What is needed for me to grow in my understanding and
expression of love to others? What would my life look like if I were diligently
“walking in the truth”?

Personal Note:
The greatest command from God is that we love one another.  I need God's help in my understanding and expressing love to others.

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 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).

Titus 2:11-14

 11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It
teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled,
upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the
blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for
himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Meditation
1. Paul has a rather long string of exhortations, judgments, and condemnations
for the flock under Titus’ leadership. But now he puts his rebuke in the
context of the gospel. The hard admonitions of the preceding verses ought
to be balanced with this affirmation of faith. Grace comes to all. Yet salvation
has an ethical component: renouncing and training, letting go of our old
selves in order to embrace our new selves in Christ.
2. Ask God to guide me in one or all of these growth:
 □ turning my back on “ungodliness and worldly passions”
 □ taking on a “self-controlled, upright and godly” life
 □ believing that this new life is starting right now “in this present age”
 □ being “eager to do what is good”
 □ other: __________________________________________

Personal Note:
The grace of God is the forgiveness of sins.  When I reflect, when was a time when worldly passion brings joy and peace?  When I live self controlled and upright lives, having hope in Christ, I have joy and peace myself and I naturally was eager to bring this joy and peace to others around me.

Romans 12:1-3

 1Therefore, 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 spiritual act of worship.
2Do 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 is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
 3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself
more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in
accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Meditation
1. The problem with a “living” sacrifice is that it always wants to get off the altar.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (“easy” to “hard”), rank the difficulty I think I would have
in giving my entire being – thoughts, words, and actions – to God.？
2. As I go about my work this week, I will offer myself each morning as a living
sacrifice and as an act of worship. Pray that God will help me not to conform
to the pattern of this world but to be transformed. Then, throughout the day,
in the words I say, the thoughts I have and my actions, I will seek God’s help
to choose according to the pattern and character of Jesus rather than the
pattern of this world.
3. What would be my feelings then?  Excited and willing?  Or Wanting to jump
off the altar and escape?  Why?

Personal Note:
I can relate to how I would like to love and have faith for God, but without offering myself as a living sacrifice.  When I view God's mercy (not getting the punishment I deserve), the natural response is to offer myself as a living sacrifice for God.  On a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being easy, I would say I am at 9, in offering my entire being through thoughts, words, and actions to God. God has given me love and lots of blessings in life, and why do I still not trust Him fully and whole heartedly?

My hope in renewing my mind is to dwell myself in the presence of Jesus Christ.  Anything else other that Christ  come from the patterns of this world.  Then I would be able to test and engage in God's will.  We know what God's will is: Grow as a mature disciples in Christ and make more disciples in Christ.  The feelings should be exciting and willing.