Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 31 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 31 May 2008

Being a brother's keeper: Let the journey begin Today I end my series on being a brother’s keeper with this final encouragement: Let the journey begin. I believe that for some of us, the journey of restoration has just started. God is already restoring friendships, restoring families, and restoring relationships. Let the journey begin, and don’t look back at your old ways. I hope that you will find time to read Genesis 19 today. May this chapter serve as a reminder to all of us about what it means to look straight and not turn back to our old ways. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the sins that they were walking in, but He saved Lot and his family. In fact God sent two angels to rescue him. However, Lot’s son-in-laws thought he was joking, and even when the whole place was being destroyed Lot’s wife disobeyed God by turning back (Genesis 19:26) and she became a pillar of salt. I believe that when we are walking in sin and hurt from relationships, it is easy to go back to our old ways and not want to change. But let us be on guard today that we are not becoming a pillar of salt by our actions because of SIN. For some of us restoration is at our door step and it is a matter of saying I want to die to my old ways and become a brother’s keeper. Psalm 80:7 Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 31 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 31 May 2008

Being a brother's keeper: Battling comparison and envy God is at work right now in each and every one of our lives. God is right now going to restore friendships, restore families, and restore relationships. But in order for restoration to take place, we ourselves must DESIRE change, accept differences, and be willing to humble ourselves. Psalm 80:7 Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. It does not take rocket science to figure out that comparing, envy, or jealousy all destroy friendships and relationships. In my opinion if we are constantly comparing ourselves to others, it will be harder to achieve all that God has for us. The reason for this is because we have our eyes focused on the wrong things. A brother’s keeper always wants the best for those closest to them. There is no room for jealousy in their lives, especially over the smallest things in life. A close friend could get a pay raise, a great bonus, a promotion, an opportunity to hold a key leadership position, but how will we respond to that? Will we bless, encourage, and be a brother’s keeper? Or instead of blessing that friend will we start getting jealous and soon the friendship is broken just because of this. COME ON!!!! Let’s put our childish ways behind us. God has a specific calling, destiny for each one of us, and it is a matter of find it. Job 5:2 Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 30 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 30 May 2008

Being a brother’s keeper: Being reliable God is at work right now in each and every one of our lives. God is right now going to restore friendships, restore families, and restore relationships. But in order for restoration to take place, we ourselves must DESIRE change, accept differences, and be willing to humble ourselves. Psalm 80:7 Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. Being reliable is tough, because we can’t just say I want to be a reliable person, and automatically we are changed into this perfect person. Being reliable. In my opinion being reliable means that a person is dependable. People can depend on this person at all times through the ups and downs. Reliable means being steadfast, unwavering, unfailing, trusting and someone that they can turn to for counsel. What is the point of being a reliable person? Why should I even try? I don’t care about peoples problems—I’ve got enough of my own problems. If these thoughts are running through our heads right now, I believe God is allowing this to happen to shake our lives so that we can begin to live the life God made. I hope we can remember the ultimate reason why I am writing on this series. God wants to restore friendships, restore families, and restore relationships. But in order for restoration to take place, we ourselves must DESIRE change, accept differences, and be willing to humble ourselves. Being reliable may seem like a low priority, but if we start working on ourselves first, laying the right foundations it will help us restore friendships and relationships. Job 39:11 Will you rely on him for his great strength? Will you leave your heavy work to him? © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 29 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 29 May 2008

Being a brother’s keeper: Recognizing hurt God is at work right now in each and every one of our lives. God is right now going to restore friendships, restore families, and restore relationships. But in order for restoration to take place, we ourselves must DESIRE change, accept differences, and be willing to humble ourselves. Psalm 80:7 Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. It is vital that we recognize that the closer we get to someone; we will definitely face hurt, pain, offenses, good times, bad time, and finally death. In my opinion, if we are not able to deal with all these issues, we could lose great friendships and relationships that God has put in our lives. I hope that we are aware that the devil wants to rob us from God’s purposed relationships. God has a plan, a reason for placing people in our lives, and the devil knows the full impact that relationships can have for the kingdom of God. So let us be alert and on guard. Today, if you are carrying wounds from a past relationship. Offenses from friendships. Let us heal and mend these relationships so that we can once again focus on the plans that God has. Being a brother’s keeper is recognizing hurt, healing and mending relationships, and not allowing any room for division. 1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 28 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 28 May 2008

Being a brother’s keeper: Are you being a strain, a pain, a drain? Psalm 80:7 Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. As I mentioned yesterday, I am excited for this new series. I believe God is at work right now in each and every one of our lives. God is right now going to restore friendships, restore families, and restore relationships. But in order for restoration to take place, we ourselves must DESIRE change, accept differences, and be willing to humble ourselves. Today’s word of encouragement is examining and asking yourself are you being a strain, a pain, and a drain on people? It is simple. No one likes to be around people who are constantly a strain and a pain, because they are draining. I believe that God is at work right now in our lives because he wants to restore and bring healing of relationships. How do you know if you are a strain and a pain, causing drain? Selfishness, self-centeredness, insecurity, constant emotional imbalance and always wanting attention. Just writing these words makes we realize how negative it is. But to be honest with you, on a daily basis we must be aware of these things in our lives, because if we aren’t we will become a strain, a pain, and a drain on other people. I highly recommend asking your close friends how they find you, and what areas to work on. How do we handle friends, family members, and relationships with people who are a strain, a pain, causing drain? I offer the best answer to this question: WWJD (WHAT WOULD JESUS DO). Our Lord Jesus Christ is our example. If we have friends, relatives, loved ones who are a drain on us, no matter what we cannot give up on them. Jesus never gave up on us, so why should we? I have a great verse that paints this picture very well. The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35) 21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 27 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 27 May 2008

Today I begin a new series on Being a brother’s keeper. The first murder every to take place on earth was when Cain killed his brother Abel. When God asked him where his brother was he replied, “I don’t know, am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9) How do we define brother? Throughout this series I define brother as someone in our lives that we are willing to stand in the gap for but most of all someone we are will to die for. Before we begin this series, I hope we will take a few minutes to think and write down the people that we are willing to die for. The next thing we have to do is, ask ourselves, are we growing this relationship? How is the current condition of the relationship? And finally, what is God’s purpose for this friendship? Today’s word of encouragement is: being a brother’s keeper means not being a hero all the time. So many of us want to be the “hero” in solving issues, coming to the rescue for those close to us. However, if we are always the hero, we are not helping but in fact we are doing a disfavor. Part of being a brother’s keeper, is showing tough love. I am excited for this new series, because I believe God is at work right now in each and every one of our lives. God is right now going to restore friendships, restore families, and restore relationships. Psalm 80:7 Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 26 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 26 May 2008

Developing our character for battle: Attitude Today, I end my series on developing our character for battle with this one final thought. How does your ATTITUDE smell like? As we face the battles that life may throw at us, we are uncertain of the obstacles and challenges. Our attitude determines if we will come out victorious or defeated. In my opinion, attitude goes hand-in-hand with our character. Attitude that stinks, can be smelt a mile away. Attitude that smells wonderful can also be smelt a mile away. No one likes to be around people with an attitude that smells rotten, and everyone wants to be around people that have great attitudes. The battles that awaits us some we will have to fight them on our own, but most often we are NEVER ALONE WHEN WE FIGHT. The word of God is clear, Ecclesiastes 4:12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. God has purposed us to fight our battles together, which is why our attitude is so important. God’s children have a common attitude; we have an example, Christ Himself. Today, let us examine our attitude and see if it is fit for battle. If not, let us work on it. © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 25 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 25 May 2008

Developing our character for battle: Learning from your mistakes. No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes what may be an obvious mistake in some peoples eyes may not be the same in our own eyes. I hope that today’s word of encouragement would be a reminder to give room for people making mistakes, because Jesus does UNCONDITIONALLY. How we respond after we make mistakes is essential. Sometimes mistakes consume our lives. Sometimes we dwell on our past mistakes and this is not good, because God has more in store for us. Today let us embrace making mistakes, as part of developing our character for battle. If we keep making the same mistakes over and over and over again, it is not good. If we keep dwelling in our past mistakes and never move on that is not good. Let us turn to God, surrender everything to Him and let Him lead our lives. Psalm 33:22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you. © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 24 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 24 May 2008

Developing our character for battle: Practicing what you have learnt. Part of developing our character for battle is realizing that we have to practice what we learn. There is no point in reading the entire bible and yet we don’t live what it says. We are wasting our time if we are going to church just to meet friends, just to do the “good” Christian thing. The main question we have to ask ourselves is: are we practicing what we are learning? It starts by developing good habits. But in order to recognize the good from the bad, we have to implement strategies to effectively put what we learn to good use. Today, I will touch on three key strategies which in my opinion will help put what we learn to good use. Firstly, write down a list of all your bad habits. Some of us could have 3, 5, 10, or more bad habits. You probably already know your bad habits, and in order to remove that, it takes 21 days of doing the opposite of that bad habit. Secondly, take notes. Everywhere we go on a DAILY basis, God wants to talk to us. It is a matter of being attentive to His voice. One practical thing I have started doing is taking notes on my phone everywhere I go. I write notes of words God gives me to encourage me throughout the day, especially if I’m faced with a battle against the enemy. At church, I hope we can come to a point in our walk with God that we aren’t spacing out during a sermon, we aren’t sleeping, and we aren’t drifting into our own world. Here is one practical tip for us if we tend to do this: GET A JOURNAL AND TAKE NOTES. Again, God is wanting to talk to us during a sermon, and it is a matter of hearing Him clearly. Watch and see, God reveals to us so much beyond just the sermon. Finally, after finding our bad habits, and taking notes daily of what God is saying to us, the last thing we have to do is answer this question: SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT! When God speaks to us, what is our action plan? God tells us things at the right time, to be effective. He wont tell us to do things that will overwelm us, come on God knows who we are and what we are capable of. Today, I hope we are excited to make change in our lives to be ready for battle. Are you ready? Psalm 101:7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. Matthew 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 23 May 2008

Word of Encouragement for Every New Day ~ 23 May 2008

Developing our character for battle: Handling offense. Learning how to handle offense is vital in developing our character for battle. Why? Because offense is part of life. Being hurt by something offense is real, is upsetting, and many of us have been wounded by people offending us. Everyone responds to offense in different ways, take a few minutes right now and think of the last time someone offended you and how did you respond? Did you get hurt? Has it been resolved, or are you still holding on to the issue? 3 Keys in dealing with offense: Accept you are hurt. Ask God to heal the wound. Forgive the offender. Accepting that you are hurt is the most important step. Some people (like me) say, “I don’t care” when actually deep inside us, we are offended. Accepting, is humbling ourselves before God and letting Him control the situation. Asking God to heal the wound in the second step. When we get hurt, there is an open wound. If we don’t take care of the wound it gets infected, it gets deeper, and it leaves a scar. In my opinion, the only way that we can remove the scars and heal the wounds is by asking God to heal it. If we trust in ourselves to heal our own hurts and wounds, we haven’t really brought healing to the situation. Finally, the third step is to forgive. It is hard to forgive the offender. Sometimes we view them as our enemy. But Jesus says we are to love our enemies. To forgive brings resolution to the issue. Some people have been walking their entire lives with open wounds, isn’t it time to bring complete restoration? Today, I pray that we would strive to bring healing to our wounds, so that we would be affective in the day of battle. The test of our character is present, and I know God is preparing us all. Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. © May 2008 Shaun Lee. www.everynation.org.sg archive: www.shauntzen.blogspot.com