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.

Hebrew 2:6-10

Chapter 2

⁶But there is a place where someone has testified:
“What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
⁷You made him a little lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor
⁸ and put everything under his feet.”

In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. ⁹But 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.

¹⁰In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

Meditation

1. Read the passage aloud once.
2. Then read the passage again slowly.  What words or phrases capture my attention the most?  Pause for a moment and ask God to help me understand them and continue to meditate on them.  Why do I think those words or phrases fascinate me?  Are they related to what is going on in my life right now – feelings, circumstances, decisions, etc.?
3. Pray that I will be continually fascinated by God’s glory, honour and majesty.

Personal Note: Jesus Christ's death and suffering brings glory to God.  He overcame death and sin by his resurrection.  Am I living with the hope of God's power?  

Mark 5:25-34

25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all
she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about
Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she
thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding
stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At
once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the
crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding
against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’
” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman,
knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with
fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed
you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Meditation
1. Jesus, on his way to the home of a dying girl, was touched by a woman with
chronic bleeding. She spent all she had to search for a cure but to no avail.
Then she heard about Jesus, she became convinced that if she could only
touch his clothing, she would be healed. And she was healed indeed.
2. Mark is demonstrating to us here that Jesus Christ, ruler of God’s kingdom,
has power over nature, over demonic power, and over every illness. Knowing
Jesus has such power gives us confidence to live by his word, even if he
should not choose to heal every believer’s disease now.
3. Tell Jesus all of my urgent needs and ask for His healing and help.

Personal Note:
From point 2, we need to accept the reality that we have saints who pray with faith, and yet their love ones dies at the end.  I was recently at a funeral of an elderly lady on the weekend.  The woman endured years of physical suffering before her death.  From her testimony and the testimony of her friends, her faith enable her to rejoice and live life to the fullest despite her last few years' worsening physical condition.  She was at peace and was experiencing God's freedom and she was a tremendous blessing to brothers and sisters around her.

I do not suffer much physically now a days.  I thank God for giving me health so that I can enjoy various physical activities like basketball and running, etc.  I do need help in overcoming discouragement and have faith in God's power in growing the English congregation.  We have seen the group grew from a few guys to a bigger group by his grace.  Now, it is our desire to grow the group in width (more people in each of the small groups) and in depth (quality of discipleship).  As the pastor, I am called to lead them with faith and courage.  I urgently need Jesus Christ to strengthen my doubt and trust in his grace and power.

2 Corinthians 1:3-11

 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles,
so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have
received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives,
so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your
comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces
in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you
is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share
in our comfort.
 8We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered
in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to
endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence
of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who
raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver
us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11as you help
us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor
granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

MEDITATION
1. Christians may suffer because of the faith that we have.  But when we suffer
and are persecuted because of Jesus, we can also be comforted because we
know that God is at work, seeking reconciliation between God and men and
that Christ is the one who comforts us.  When we suffer for the gospel, we are
put into a position of needing to be dependent on God.
2. When was the last time I felt like in a pressure cooker?  What happened?
3. Whom do I know that is under pressure right now?  How would Paul
encourage me to pray for him/her this week?  Spend a few minutes praying
for this person.  Give this person a call, in a few days, or write him/her an
email asking how things are and telling him/her that you are praying for him/
her.

Personal Note:
The last time I felt like in a pressure cooker was around two years ago.  I was lost in my life's direction.  I had the pressure to perform in ministry, to generate profit from my business, and trying to seek meaning in life in the midst of pressures from everywhere.  The ministry did not grow and seemed to be stagnant and my business went south, and I do not know what to do.  I do give thanks to God for that experience as He taught me that I need to depend on Him to be comforted.  I also give thanks for the comforting support from the leadership in my church and from brothers and sisters in my fellowship.

I know there are academic pressure for most of my young friends.  There are financial pressure for most of my working friends and even greater pressure for my unemployed friends.  There are parenting pressure for my friends with kids.  There are challenges and suffering for my friend who is working oversea to teach English.  Let's keep everyone in my prayer.