| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 1 Mar 2008 |
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| Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Which one do you lack? Sometimes to fully understand the meaning of peace we need to experience trials, sufferings, make mistakes, and allow God to redefine our lives. It starts right in our hearts. When people are at peace in their hearts they will reason through trials and struggles with maturity because God is in the center of their lives. If God is not the core of our lives on a daily basis, then our likes are in chaos, turbulence, and at some point we will cry out in desperation, but who are we calling to? Peace is the third fruit of the spirit; if we are not in peace internally we are in chaos. Today, let us ask ourselves and seek God how we can bring peace into our hearts. Let us stop relying on our old ways, our past, people who draw us further away from God, because all these factors will not bring peace but turbulence. © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Friday, February 29, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 1 Mar 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 29 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 29 Feb 2008 |
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| Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Which one do you lack? Joy is defined by happiness, rejoicing, delight, source of pleasure. When we first thought about the word joy, I wonder if you thought the same thing as me. Joy does not really make a huge impact in my heart as compared to love, because so often I take joy and having joy in my life for granted. What happens to us when we lack joy in our lives? When I asked myself this question I pondered, what is the opposite of not having joy in my life? The opposite of joy is grief, sadness, distress, unhappiness, regret, and trouble. With this perspective, now it makes me realize how valuable it is to have joy in our lives. But joy that comes from the Lord is priceless, sometimes we look for joy from people, from objects, etc…WE WILL NEVER FIND JOY IF WE DO NOT TURN TO GOD. Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, "…Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." 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. © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 28 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 28 Feb 2008 |
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| Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Which one do you lack? Today’s word of encouragement is focused on love. What is your definition of love? Would love be defined by loving a person no matter what? Their flaws, sins, and mistakes? Jesus took the time to talk to the women at the well who was walking in sin, people despised her, yet Jesus didn’t. Or is this love, to correct, to discipline, and to minister? Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. We have all been wired uniquely by God, but one thing is certain, love and loving people is the key. In 1 Corinthians 13:13 the Word of God says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Today, I pray that we would seek God to give us a heart like His, to know when to give more love to the hurting, to the sinner, to love the sinner by hate the sin. But I also pray that God will give us a discerning heart, because love is discipline and correction. Anyone who rejects and hates correction is foolish; we need discipline in our lives. Let us love others the way Jesus would love us. © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 27 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 27 Feb 2008 |
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| Put your words to action-talk is easy. Today’s word of encouragement is focused on how easy it is to talk. We brag about our achievements, we talk confidently about our future and how great we are going to be “One Day”. Another common thing that we do, we say sorry a billion and one times to God and yet we still fall to sin. What is the point of talking when we never put what we say into action? All leaders have great vision, they are visionaries, but those who do not put their words into action are forgotten, and those that followed will no longer follow. Those of us who keep asking for forgiveness from God over the same sin, and yet we keep sinning and sinning and sinning over the same issue, when are we really going to put our words “forgive me Lord” into action? What is the point of asking God for forgiveness if tomorrow we are going to commit the same sin? Today, let us seek God and really answer Him, How can we put our words into action? Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Monday, February 25, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 25 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 25 Feb 2008 |
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| I love inventions; the ability to create new things has always intrigued me. One of the greatest inventions in my books is the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) because it is the fastest way to get money without going into the bank, and you can place these machines anywhere. Today’s word of encouragement is this: Do we treat Jesus like an ATM? We have to treasure our relationship with God; Jesus isn’t an ATM which we just go to when we need Him. If we truly love God we would not take Him for granted. I hope we don’t treat Him like an ATM. The Word of God says in Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21 says it clearly that not everyone who calls on God, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. We can run to God like an ATM, when we run dry, when we are depressed, when we are in need, THEN WE RUN TO GOD??? All the other times, we rely on our own strength. I hope that we are real with God, because the worst thing that could happen is when we are blinded by our own actions. We think that just because we go to church, we read the bible, we are growing a strong relationship with God. Just because we go to church, just because we read the Bible everyday does not mean anything. We cannot treat God like an ATM. We cannot afford to just depend on God when we are on our deathbed. God has so much in store for each of us right now! This very moment! And yet we go on living never realizing this. Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 25 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 25 Feb 2008 |
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| Isaiah 49:8 This is what the Lord says: In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people … The Lord’s time is the best time. Today’s word of encouragement is to find peace in our hearts and stop wrestling with God. Let God control time. Some of us want to rush God’s plans so we take things into our own hands, but when we take things into our own hands we no longer walk in the favor of God. In Isaiah 49:8 the word of God says, “In the time of my favor I will answer you.” Simply put, when it is God’s time we walk in God’s favor and He will answer us. What are the most common areas where we would take things into our own hands? 1) Dating, marriage, and flirting why because we are not getting any younger, we are empty inside, longing for comfort, and we enjoy the attention. 2) Getting a new job, what school to apply to, we are driven by our own dreams and success. Anything less than that and we feel like we have failed. Clearly we are not moving to the voice of God, and to His time. Today, if we are struggling with God’s plans, His time, and we are not satisfied, I pray that Isaiah 49:8 would be an encouragement. In the time of God we gain God’s favor and He will answer us; furthermore, God will keep us and will make us to be a covenant for the people. © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 24 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 24 Feb 2008 |
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| 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. Imagine an old house with walls that are dirty, cracked, and everything smells musty. There are several things that we can do to this house, we could renovate everything, but renovations would cost a lot and take time. There are other methods which would be cheaper and would take lest time, like repainting or wallpaper. Today’s word of encouragement is about removing the fake facade. If we study the analogy of this old house, we could mask the flaws, the dirt, and the smell by repainting or putting up wallpaper over the cracks. But in the end, the cracks are only being covered up, and the foundations of this old house have not been fixed, strengthened, and renewed. How is your house today—the house inside you? Are we covering our lives, our sins, our mistakes the same way as someone putting wallpaper over the cracked wall? You see the word of God says in 1 Corinthians 6:19 that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and in verse 20 it says, “YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE.” If we were bought at a price, why in the world would we settle for wallpaper to cover our cracks, rather than rebuilding our structures? Simply, because we enjoy our sins, we don’t want to deal with the pain of rebuilding, and we want the easy way out. We were bought at a price by our Lord Jesus Christ-are we going to settle for anything less than the best that God has for us? © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Friday, February 22, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 23 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 23 Feb 2008 |
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| Isaiah 40:28-31 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. I sense that many of us need a word of encouragement today. It has been a busy week, some of us are having stress from work, some of us are weary because of financial burdens, some feel abandoned by close friends, and some of us are riding the emotional rollercoaster. So what do we do? We turn to people, friends, family, and colleagues to gain comfort, advice, and gain their approval. But usually we keep it all inside, hiding it from the world, feeling alone, weak, weary, the best position for the enemy to attack us. The Lord our God is our strength—come on!! Get out of the petty party! Let us be shaken from the poison of the enemy. Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Who is greater than God? Some friends draw us closer to God, and they strengthen us by reminding us to turn to God. I pray that we would treasure these friendships. Finally, no matter what situation we all may be facing, know that God hears, God sees, and has His hand on us—only if we will let Him. Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 22 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 22 Feb 2008 |
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| As Moses was leading God’s people out of In the wilderness. Sometimes God throws us into the wilderness to not only test us, but it is a great opportunity for us to take a good look at our inner self. What are we made of? Who are we really in the inside? Who is the true you? Some of us may already be in the wilderness right now, and some of us may be headed into a season in the wilderness. Either way, how are we going to respond? God’s people were in the wilderness for 40 years. It took them 40 years to WAKE UP! You see in Matthew 7:13-14 it says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” God’s people wanted to return to Joshua and Caleb, two men that walked the narrow road leading to life. When many saw the promise land as too big a task to accomplish, with lots and lots of enemies, big devils, only a few saw God’s promise, only a few listened and obeyed God. I hope that today’s word of encouragement will inspire us to examine what we are really made of in the inside. Are we really willing to walk the narrow path? Are we ready for the wilderness? © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 21 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 21 Feb 2008 |
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| The God we worship is greater than all the gods ever created. To deny His power, His glory, His existence, how could we O Lord. Today’s word of encouragement is: Face to Face with the Enemy. Sometimes facing our fears, facing Satan himself, and overcoming this is what sets us free. Imagine David facing Goliath, in many ways God was testing David’s faith. It was a mark on David’s life, and even Saul was afraid of David after he killed Goliath. A boy? A child? Without armor? He killed Goliath? King David’s life story could have been totally different, he could have entertained His brother’s mocking, he could have allowed discouragement to tarnish his calling, and instead of facing the enemy, HE COULD HAVE WALKED AWAY. You see, the Devil is always going to be there at our greatest point of test. How we respond to the test before us is what makes or breaks our destiny. Yes Devil, I am weak, I am small, I am not smart enough, I am a failure, I am a sinner, I am poor, I am fat, I am ugly, I am useless, but I worship and bow my knee to one and one alone—The Lord Jesus Christ, the Maker of the Heavens and Earth. My God will go before me and I will take you down like Goliath. Lord Jesus, open our eyes, open our ears, open our hearts, that we may grab hold of our destiny and face the enemy without fear! In Your name we pray. Amen. Isaiah 28:23 Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say. © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 20 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 20 Feb 2008 |
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| Sensitivity and emotional stability. Sometimes people feel that being sensitive is a negative thing, but I believe that God has wired some of us with the gift of sensitivity. People who are sensitive are usually more in tune with peoples feelings, are aware of their actions, and words. This gift used by God can help transform people’s lives; it can even help people overcome difficult situations. But today’s word is focused on emotional stability. Having a balanced emotional life is crucial. Some of us lack sensitivity and that isn’t good. Others are too sensitive and that isn’t good as well. Being emotionally stable allows us to focus, listen to God clearly, and know how to handle difficult situations we may face. Today let us examine our emotional status, evaluate it, and seek God. If you fall into the category of being insensitive and most often lack sensitivity, I urge you to ask God for more awareness, and to bring that balance. For those of us who are too emotional and are overly sensitive, I pray that you would find balance in your emotions. I pray that God’s peace may rest in your soul, and let God direct your steps. 1 Corinthians 13:3-5 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. |
Monday, February 18, 2008
Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 19 Feb 2008
| Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 19 Feb 2008 |
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| Stubbornness. There are many analogies that can be used from this word, but today I would like to focus mainly on these two thoughts. One is negative and the other is positive. First the negative. Stubbornness is one characteristic that we must overcome. Simply because of this: WHO IS IN CONTROL? YOU OR GOD!!! Stubbornness if not dealt with, not corrected, it can hold us back; restrict us from really being fully used by God. Let’s think about it, who would God rather use? Someone who is obedient, surrendered to God, and submitted to Him? Or would God rather use a stubborn person who doesn’t obey to anyone but himself or herself? Finally the positive. Stubbornness when it comes to fully walking and living out your convictions, setting moral standards, and being stubborn about it, is precious in the sight of God. Stubbornness is also persistence, tenacity, and perseverance. When it comes to our relationship with God, NOTHING CAN PULL US AWAY. Today, I pray that we would desire to be stubborn when the enemy tries to lure us away from our relationship with God. Today, what is your choice going to be? The negative form or the positive form? James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. © Feb 2008 Shaun Lee archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com |
