1/5/20

Exodus 8, Luke 11, Job 25-26, 1 Corinthians 12

In Luke 11:24-26
Jesus teaches about partial conversions.
Evil cannot be simply kicked out of someones life, it has to be replaced by something good which is the Holy Spirit. We must "overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). For example, the weight of bitterness cannot be resolved by simply not stop being bitter; one must replace bitterness by genuine forgiveness and love for that person. Something even harder for myself would be to overcome greed. I can't stop greed by simply deciding to not be materialistic, I must fasten my affections on a better treasure, learn to be content with God and wonderfully self sacrificial. 

30/4/20

Exodus 7, Luke 10, Job 24, 1 Corinthians 11

Luke 10:20 "Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
It's easy to rejoice in success, so far that we may entangle our identity with the fruits of our ministry. This is spiritually dangerous as sometimes our ministry doesn't go as intended. This is an indicator for something even more dangerous, that God wasn't truly worshipped, our acceptance from God is no longer what drives us but instead our own success.

Lord, prune me in however manner you wish. Help my motivations in ministry be to edify you rather than self accomplishment.

29/4/20

Exodus 5, Luke 9, Job 21, 1 Corinthians 8

Jesus disciples seem eager to enact retaliation when the samaritans can't hospitable towards them. Jesus rebukes them. The disciples attitude here isn't a grasp of the holiness of God or their devotion to God but rather self focus. The closing verse of this chapter highlights the same contrast (9:57-62) The three who flex the most regarding how far their devotion to Jesus is are firmly put in their place; they have not yet counted the cost of discipleship and their pride is exposed.

Lord please help put my ego in its place. Help me to cling onto the cross and rely on you. Help me see others how you view them and to love them, for the sake of you.

28/4/20

Exodus 5, Luke 8, Job 22, 1 Corinthians 9

This has always seemed like a confusing diss, still does. In Luke 8 Jesus low key disregards his biological family and rather states that his family is dictated by that of love rather than biological. His natural relatives are those who heard God's word and put it into practice Luke 8:21. Jesus came to call sinners into adoption, becoming permanent members of God's family and the byproduct of this is they are conforming to the obedient hearing of living of God's word.

27/4/20

Exodus 4, Luke 7, Job 21, 1 Corinthians 8

Granted the Bible story so far, the assumption is that Pharaoh is already a wicked person. In particular, he has enslaved the covenant people of God. God has not hardened a morally neutral man; he has pronounced judgement on a wicked man.

1 King 22; Ezekiel 14:9 and 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12: "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness".

26/4/20

Exodus 3, Luke 6, Job 20, 1 Corinthians 7
The name of God (3:13-14) may be rendered "I AM WHO I AM", as it is in the NIV, or "I will be what I will be." The name suggests that God is self existent, eternal, completely independent, and utterly sovereign: God is what he is, dependent on no one and nothing.

God isn't who we think He is, He is who He says He is. This is why we need to study God.

25/4/20

Exodus 2, Luke 3, Job 19, 1 Corinthians 6

We might ask why God didn't use Moses when he was young and in a position of noble power. From what we know of the story we learn that God wants Moses to learn meekness and humility to rely on God's spectacular intervention, to await Gods timing he acts in such a way that no one will be able to say that the real hero is Moses, the great visionary. By the time he is eighty, Moses doesn't want to serve God and attempts to pussy out because he's didn't view himself as someone capable. Nekminnit, God almost cajoles and even threatens him into obedience. God is the true hero in this case, he was the one taking action and so only He should be given the final credit

23/4/20

Exodus 1, Luke 4, Job 18, 1 Corinthians 5

Those who learn nothing from history are destined to repeat all its mistakes, we are told or alternatively the only thing that history teaches is that nothing is learned from history! shocking lol. As I've read scripture, forgetfulness of God and the history He's left us has all too frequently been forgotten, it's in our fallen nature. Old Testament.

Crazy Love page 169
Most of us use "I'm waiting for God to reveal His calling on my life" as a means of avoiding action. Yet we go on holidays or watch Netflix. Wrong. The point isn't that vacations or Netflix is wrong but that we are quick to rationalise our entertainment and priorities yet are slow to commit to serving God.

22/4/20

Genesis 50, Luke 3, Job 16-17, 1 Corinthians 4

Finished Genesis today. God loved Abrahams family despite how broken many of his descendants were. This reminds me that there was nothing special about the Israelites, they sinned and sinned and sinned, many did nothing but sin! This book ends quite sad in some aspects, Josephs brothers still feared for their lives despite being shown overwhelming grace and forgiveness for 17years. This indicates that they still did not trust their righteous brother, something that I would be hurt by. They were incredibly broken yet God chose them to be a blessing to all the nations. 

Thank you Lord that you magnify your glory through not just working your way through ordinary people but to the murderers, adulterers and drug dealers. Help me not place my worth through worldly standards but remember that if you change people like Johnny Nguyen, you can work through the most broken. 

21/4/20

Genesis 48, Luke 1:39-80, Job 14, 1 Corinthians 2

1 Corinthians 2
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 

- This is a further reminder that it isn't preachers or evangelical methods that save sinners but solely God. We are not to be credited, God's work through their sanctification is only what saves them. This gives me further reassurance of God in Connors life, I can spend my whole life praying for him and it might not save him, it's all up to God. I pray that God will help me put my reliance furthermore on him, not on the basis that Connor will be saved but rather that His will be done above all else.

20/4/20

to do:
zoom with simon 10:20
study 12pm
read crazy love 1pm
study again 1:30
Genesis 48, Luke 1:39-80, Job 14, 1 Corinthians 2
Bad theology breeds reactionary bad theology. Catholics have added titles and myths that are either contrary to or absent in scripture. The view that Mary was immaculately conceived (born sinless) and that she, like Enoch was transported to heavenly bodies therefore escaping death is unsupported. Despite all the theological disagreements one thing is clear, Mary is wholly admirable, a model for many virtues. She accepts her astonishing role with submission and equanimity despite living in what was still a very conservative time in western civilisation.

prayer:
pls have mercy on my body and give me ideal sleep tonight
help me be a good steward
help me do set my mind you and your son when i feel lust
help me love your children

19/4/20

wake up 10:30 and watch sermon
11:30  breakfast

Genesis 47, Luke 1:1-38, Job 13, 1 Corinthians 1

Luke doesn't claim to be eyewitness but rather he was in touch with those who were the original eyewitnesses. Since Luke was a doctor it isn't that surprising that he would have extra information about Mary's unique pregnancy.

18/4/20

Genesis 45 Mark 16 Job 12 Romans 16

What is significant about the story of Joseph is how God used a terrible act of grievance and bitterness into preserving the wellbeing of civilisations. Joseph himself acknowledges this "it was not you who sent me here, but God". This reiterates God's faithfulness to His chosen people. Idk why I woke up at 1pm, being an extreme inconvenience but I trust God is trying to remind me the importance of good stewardship.

Prayer:
Help me to stop complaining about my circumstances and rather find how I can best serve God.

17/4/20

Read bible 8:30am
Breakfast 10
Clean louvers 10:30am
Cooking Timmy dumpling yay yeet 12

Genesis 45 Mark 15 Job 11 Romans 15
Jesus taught that he is the real temple, the anti-type of the building in Jerusalem, the ultimate meeting-place between God and human beings (John 2:19-22). Jesus not only declared that he is himself the temple, but that this is so by virtue of the fact that this temple must be destroyed and brought back to life in three days. If he had "come down from the cross" and saved himself, as his mockers put it, he could not have become the destroyed and rebuilt "temple" that reconciles men and women to God.

Crazy Love p143
A person who is obsessed with Jesus is more concerned with his or her character than comfort. Obsessed people know that true joy doesn't depend on circumstances or environment; it is a gift that must be chosen and cultivated, a gift that ultimately comes from God (James 12-4)

I need to think like this more often ^^^^^^^

Prayer:
Thank you that I have a job lord
Please keep me responsible with my sleeping schedule
Help me be more concerned with character rather than convenience and instant gratification

16/4/20

Genesis 44, Mark 14, Job 10, Romans 14

In Genesis we come to the peak highlight of Judahs life in scripture, he wishes that he be punished instead of his younger brother for the sake of his father Isaac whom he loved. What amazes me is that bible characters are usually so flawed and yet God used these broken people to bring forth his will. Jesus would actually be a descendant of this very broken man.

-p131 Crazy Love
People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this Earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.


Read Bible 11am
Study 12:30
Lunch 2pm
Work 4pm 
Jog 10:20
Read Crazy Love 11:30

14/4/20

Mark 13, Romans 13, Genesis 41,

We can depend that Holy Spirit will give us appropriate and effective words to defend the faith. We know this from Mark 13. Because of this I'll have hope that I don't need to know the deepest  or most complex theology, when my loyalty and the basis to my faith is tested I just need to vocally bear witness to what Jesus did on that cross 2000 years ago. I could have a vocabulary that could astound everyone and yet persecutors may not be convinced, but that's not up to them or me, it's up to God.

13/4/20

Genesis 42, Mark 12, Job 8, Romans 12

Marriage was designed by God for earthly stewardship. Jesus empathised that in heaven there will be no exclusive or sexual relationships. Believers will experience an entirely new existence in my they have perfect spiritual relationships with each other and God.

Prayer:
be a good steward in studies
thank you that chloe is grateful for grace
help me love daniel viana more. im ceebs for him. pls help me love him

12/4/20

Genesis 41, Mark 11, Job 7, Romans 11

Jesus asks the elders if John the baptisms ministry was from heaven or from men. If they say it was from heaven then Jesus will condemn them for not being disciples of John, and since Johns ministry pointed to Jesus they would have to follow him. If they say Johns ministry was illegitimate then they will lose peoples support. Been reminded through Mark 11 that some people ask questions about the gospel not because they want to learn more but just because they want to criticise, their minds are already made up. This leaves me to have faith that it is only the gospel message that saves. I must preach it over and over and over again and God will save some.

2:30 lunch
3pm work on biology and humanities
7pm watch harley quinn
10pm read crazy love

11/5/20

Genesis 40, Mark 19, Job 6, Romans 10

While unjustly incarcerated, Joseph still maintained integrity in prison. Being a good steward and even become secondary prison ward. Throughout everything just like Job, Jospeh trusted in God's providence lived his life whether joyfully or not glorifying God the best that he could. He even makes the straightforward statement "Do not interpretations belong to God?" Genesis 40:8, by doing this he discredits himself.
I also learned that Job didn't just suffer boils but also these. what the hell this guy did not take a break


Prayer:
Help me fix up my sleeping schedule. honour you with my time and productivity

To do:
read crazy love 1:40pm
finish editing biology 2:30
watch A Private War 5pm

10/4/20

Devotional
Genesis 39, Mark 9, Job 5, Romans 9
Todays devotional made a comparison between Jospeh and his brother Judah. Judah is prosperous but when he's bereaved of his wife he ends up committing adultery unknowingly with his daughter in law. Joseph was a slave and yet because of his reliance on God he kept his sexual purity despite temptation. Sometimes God chooses to bless us and make us people of integrity in abominable circumstances rather than change in circumstance.

Prayer
Lord, help me be like Jospeh. Help me cling onto your presence and your promises
Help me be a good son and steward of secular studies
Thank you for dying on the cross, paying the price which I could have never paid


To do list
Study for biology and Human rights at 12:20pm
lunch 3pm
Read Crazy Love 4pm
Study more 4:30pm
Go to harsh place 6
Prayer walk 9:30pm
Watch movie and sleep 10pm

9/4/20

Woke up at 12:20pm
Grabbed breakfast and read Bible 12:40pm

Devotional: Genesis 38, Mark 8, Job 4, Romans 8
The apostles expected the messiah to be a strong political power who would free them from the grasp of foreign power, not a suffering servant. Jesus did not just inform them of his coming fate that also they will suffer "deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me". To first century audience, this was shocking. When Jesus used this language he entailed a painful renunciation of self interest, Christs followers interests should follow alongside with God's interests. For few of us, this commitment might result in our deaths, for all is a death to ourselves, discipleship of Jesus and a refusal to be ashamed of him.

Got work at 4pm. Before then I'm going to study biology and check up on Human Rights assessment.

8/4/20

Woke up 8:45am and had breakfast
10:20am phone call with Rebecca lu. thank you lord that she's still reading her bible
11:10 read bible.

In the new testament, traditions are either praised or critiqued not on the basis of their convenience or social function but in the nature of their conformity to God and His word. If tradition involves apostolic teaching then it's good, if it conflicts with what God says then traditions can be a stumbling block. (page feb 4)

prayer:
please help me be a good steward. honour my parents as well as my studies