Bible Truth Daily Devotion

August 27, 2010

The Greatest Honor

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 1:00 am

Romans 2:6-11

 

 

Let’s reflect on some important questions before we dive into this passage. 

  1. What are the two types of giving back God would give? 
  2. How does seeking honor be consistent with Christian value? 
  3. When does ambition become unacceptable?

 

Commentary:

Romans 2:6. The word render is apodidōmi in Greek.  It means to give back or to repay.  There are two types of giving back in this passage.   

Romans 2:7.  The first type is an award for those who seek God.  Glory, honor, and immortality are three of the characteristics of God.  God has glory.  Glory has metaphysically and visually represented the presence of God in the OT (1Sam 4:21; Ezek 9:3).   Glory also expresses the resurrected body of Christ (1Pet 1:21).  

In seeking honor, only the one granted from the highest should matter.  We can be the honorable guest of a wedding feast or the distinguished guest of the president for one night, but if we fail to receive honor from God, we will be the most miserable persons in the world.  Hence, we should seek to honor God because He will honor those who honor Him (1Sam 2:30).

Immortality is to have an incorruptible body.   The resurrected body of our Lord Jesus is imperishable (1Cor 15:42). To seek after the supernatural body, we must put our faith in Christ Jesus.  When people seek after these three things, they are pursuing God.  God will grant them eternal life.

Romans 2:8-9.  The other type of giving back is a judgment.  Those who pursue selfish gain will reap tribulation and distress.  There is nothing wrong with being ambitious, but selfishly ambitious always leads to the unrighteousness.  When people set out to be selfish, they would make choices against the truth and against God.   They will do the “necessary” evil to make the selfish gain.  In the end, God will judge them for their sins.

Romans 2:10.  Those who seek for glory and honor and immortality will attain what they look for.  God will grant them glory and honor and peace.  Jesus said that he would give His peace to the believers.  His peace transcends life and takes us to the heaven. 

Romans 2:11. The phrase “Jews first and also of the Greek” is mentioned twice.  God has a plan to save the world.  It is the Jew first and then the Greek.  That is why Paul would always visit the synagogue before he went to tell the gentiles the gospel.  It is in this order that God would give the award or the judgment. 

 

Meditation:

It is always exciting to wait for the announcement of our names for the awards that we know are coming.  The joy of being recognized for our great work leaps onto our face when our names are called.  This is the moment that we all work so hard for. 

What if our names were not called? 

What if all that we have done in the name of Jesus Christ turn out to be all selfish ambitions?  May be no one knows, but God surely is not mocked.  It is, therefore, important to do self check from time to time.  Make sure that we run a race to pursue God and not to pursue our own selfish gain.  Our own gain will not have any honor coming from the highest source.  If we are not careful, we may not even get the eternal life. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you will honor those who honor you.  We pray that we will always seek to give you the honor and put ourselves and our agenda last.  We ask that the peace of Jesus be with us when times are hard and when we do not get the breaks that we should have.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 29, 2010

E4C Friday Night Fellowship Study Guide: July 30, 2010

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July 28, 2010

Becoming  Immoveable

Psalm 46

1.       Biblical writers often used apocalyptic pictures to describe a national crisis.  What might be happening to Israel here (vv.2,3,6)?

2.       Could verses 2-3 and 5-6 portray any crisis in your life?

3.       What difference does it make to you to know Jesus is Lord over all those chaotic events?

July 27, 2010

The Fairest Lord Jesus and His Marriage

Psalm 45

  1. What was the most extravagant wedding you ever attended or witnessed?
  2. How does the New Testament make sense out of verses 6-7 (see Heb 1:8-9)?
  3. What is being said about Jesus and the Church (see Eph 5:25-27)?
  4. Taking verses 2-7 as applying to Jesus, which royal qualities about him mean the most to you now? Why?

July 26, 2010

The Maskil

Psalm  44

1.       What does it take to rouse you from sleep: (a) Noisy termite: (b) Noisy neighbors? (c) A train going through your living room?

2.       This might be the prayer of a Judean king.  What about God does he recall in verses 1-8?

3.       What problem is the king facing (vv.9-16)?

4.       Beyond the physical pain, the social stigma and the emotional turmoil lies the real problem bothering the psalmist (vv.17-22):  What is it?

5.       What is one “bad thing” that has happened to you recently that you didn’t deserve?

6.       This king felt like God was sleeping on the job, as did Jesus’ disciples (see Mk 4:35-38).  Have you felt like this?  What did you do to rouse God?

July 24 & 25, 2010

Overcoming Despair & Overcoming the Fear of Rejection

Psalm 42-43

1.       From 2Kings 14:11-14, we see hostages being taken captive from Judah: How might such a situation give birth to these psalms (42:1-3)?

2.       From the descriptive words and phrases, what diagnosis best fits this psalmist’s condition? (a) Thirsty? (b) Depressed? (c) Exiled? (d) Homesick? (e) Hopeful? (f) Plaqued by spiritual doubts?

3.       What prescription does the psalmist recommend (vv.5, 11)? Is this a realistic way to handle grief?

4.       What causes God to seem far away at times?  Who moved, God or you?  How might theses two psalms help you in times when you wonder where God is?

5.       In dealing with his depression, this man freely cried (42:3), talked to himself (42:5, 11; 43:5), reminded himself of God’s nature (42:6,8) and  prayed honestly (42:9; 43:2).  By comparison, how do you deal with depression?

July 26, 2010

The Maskil

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm, Uncategorized — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 44

 

 

See the commentary made by James Smith in The Wisdom Literature and Psalms. 

 

Commentary by James Smith:

The author was one of the Levitical sons of Korah. The psalm was written after an occasion of great national deliverance. The reference may be to the deliverance from the Assyrian attack against Judah in the days of good King Hezekiah. This is one of thirteen psalms called “maskil,” which probably means a psalm intended to teach a lesson. The psalm has five main parts which can be summarized: (1) praise (vv. 1–3); (2) hope (vv. 4–8); (3) disappointment (vv. 9–16); (4) innocence (vv. 17–22); and (5) prayer (vv. 23–26).

44:1–2. Canaan was not captured through Israel’s heroics, but through God’s help. The “fathers” had passed down the reports of what God had done for his people “in the times of old,” i.e., the days of the conquest under Joshua. By God’s hand (power) the Canaanites were “cast out” and the Israelites were “planted” in the land. God made them “spread abroad” (NASB) in that land like a great tree which struck root and spread its branches in all directions.

44:3. The thought of the two previous verses is emphasized. It was not Israel’s sword hand, but God’s right hand which gave the victory. The “light” of God’s countenance is his manifestation in human affairs. This God did for Israel as a favor, not as a reward for their national merit.

44:4. The recollection of the past gives fresh confidence in the present. God is Israel’s king. It is his duty to defend his people. He has but to “command” and “Jacob” (the nation) would experience “deliverances,” i.e., a full and complete deliverance.

44:5–8. Relying upon all that God had revealed about himself (“his name”), Israel would trample enemies as an ox might trample grain under its feet. Israel repudiates reliance upon deliverance by military prowess. Past experience justifies this confidence in the Lord. God has been the object of their praises in the past, and to him they are resolved to give thanks continually. “Selah” indicates a musical interlude which gives time for reflection.

44:9–11. Present circumstances seem to contradict the expressions of faith based on past experience. God had cast them off. He no longer went before the armies of Israel. (In ancient times the ark was carried into battle as the symbol of Yahweh’s presence with the troops.) As a result, Israel had fled from the enemies, who had plundered the land at their will. Some of God’s people had been butchered like sheep; others had been captured and sold as slaves.

44:12–14. God “sells” (delivers over) his people as though they were worthless. By so doing, God had gained nothing for himself. He had made his people an object of ridicule to neighboring nations. They shake their heads at Israel in derision. Among the heathen, Israel had become a “byword,” i.e., they pointed to Israel’s fate as a proverbial instance of a people abandoned by its God.

44:15–16. Disgrace stares the psalmist in the face all day long. Shame covers his face like a garment, inasmuch as the sense of shame betrays itself in one’s countenance. The enemy “reproaches” Israel’s impotence and “blasphemes” Yahweh by suggesting that he too is impotent. These two words are found in combination only in reference to Sennacherib’s attitude during the Assyrian attack of 701 b.c. (cf. 2 Kgs 19:6, 22). The enemy is called “the avenger” because he is acting arrogantly in taking a role which belongs only to God (cf. Deut 32:35).

44:17–18. The calamity is unmerited. Israel had not “forgotten” Yahweh as their fathers often had done. They had not been unfaithful to God’s covenant made at Sinai. They had not turned back from the Lord, neither inwardly nor outwardly (their “steps”).

44:19. A “place of jackals” is a proverbial expression for a scene of ruin and desolation. The thought may be that God has reduced their land to a desert. God had covered them with “the shadow of death,” i.e., the deep gloom which surrounds the time of death.

44:20–21. No apostasy could be concealed from the God who searches hearts. To “stretch out the hands” was a gesture of prayer in which the open palms symbolized the reception of blessing from the deity.

44:22. The claim here is that Israel was actually suffering as martyrs for the sake of their faith in Yahweh. Paul quoted this verse in Rom 8:36 to fortify Christians against the possibility that they too might have to face death for their faith.

44:23–24. God seemed to be asleep, though the psalmists knew that Yahweh never got weary as men do (121:3f.). He is urged to awake, i.e., to get involved in their plight, and not to leave them in a state of being “cast off.”

44:25–26. To “hide the face” is the opposite of showing the light of his countenance. One might hide his face in anger or indifference. The psalmist asks that God no longer ignore the plight of his people since they lie crushed to the earth and helpless. The grounds of appeal is Yahweh’s lovingkindness. The psalmist entreats God to be true to this central attribute of his character.[1]

 

Meditation:

What do we do when God does not seem to care?  The psalmist shows us that we first check ourselves to ensure that we are faithful in our walk with the Lord.  If we check out ourselves alright, then we can go to God.

In going to God, we can give God the credit that He deserved.  Then we petition to hear our plea because we have been obedient to His precept.  We also recognize that God takes action because He has lovingkindness toward us.  

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have given your Son Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.  We thank you that the work of salvation is complete on the cross.  We pray that we will follow Jesus in truth and in His manner.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

[1] Smith, James E.: The Wisdom Literature and Psalms. Joplin, Mo. : College Press Pub. Co., 1996, S. Ps 44

July 22, 2010

July 23, 2010 Friday Night Fellowship Study Guide

Filed under: Uncategorized — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 12:35 pm

Psalm 36 (Saturday 7/17/10) What Does an Atheist Think About?

  1. What difference do you see in the thoughts of the “wicked” and the “righteous”?  David’s thoughts about the wicked suddenly move him to reflect upon God’s character, why is that?
  2. In the Psalms the “righteous” seem to be those who may do evil but are generally seeking to please God.  The “wicked” are those who, despite good they may do, are generally rejecting God’s way.  What aspects of each do you see in your own life?

Psalm 37: 1-19 (Sunday 7/18/10) The Specific Actions of Faith

  1. Instead of worrying about the short-lived success of evil, what qualities should shape their lives (vv.3-8):  What is meant by “be still…and wait patiently for the Lord (v.7)?
  2. The “wicked” being “cut off” is mentioned five times.  What other images portray how they will be frustrated eventually in their plans?
  3. What proverbial wisdom do you see here with regard to money matters (vv.16-21, 25-26)?  How is generosity with money an indicator of trust and waiting on the Lord to uphold?

Psalm 37:20-40 (Monday 7/19/10) The Righteous and the Wicked

  1. Give an example of how you are postponing an immediate good for a greater, future gain?  Does society encourage delayed gratification”?
  2. Is verse 25 always true?  Or was this just David’s experience, for which there are many exceptions?
  3. Are you currently frustrated because “evil” people are getting their way?  How can you apply verse 3-8 this week?  Which of those biblical qualities would a best friend tell you to work on?

Psalm 38 (Tuesday 7/20/10) Sin and Its Effect

  1. How has God’s hand come down on David (vv.1-8)?  What did people believe caused illness in David’s day (v.3)?
  2. What adds insult to injury for David (v.9-12)?  In light of his compounded suffering, how do you account for David’s continued trust in God?
  3. When have you felt punished by God?  What happened at that time of crisis?  How did you related to God then?
  4. What part of David’s faith can you relate to from your own experience?

Psalm 39 (Wednesday 7/21/10) The Momentary Life

  1. Would you want to know the exact date you’ll die?  If you had only two weeks to live, what is one thing you must do?
  2. Why does David ask to know the “number of my days”?  What does this say about his mood?  Why does David ask God to “look away from me” (v.13)
  3. Does life sometimes seem short and empty?  How does that awareness affect your priorities?
  4. Compare verse 13 with Job 7:16-20.  When have you felt God was demanding “too much” from you?

July 15, 2010

7/16/2010 E4C Friday Night Fellowship

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July 10, 2010

The “Thank-God” List:  Psalm 30

1.       What do you learn about the Lord’s anger (v.5) about his favor?

2.       What error did David make (vv. 6-7?  Is it wrong to feel secure?

3.       Has God turn a time of wailing into a time of dancing for you?  Was it “overnight” or “gradual”?

July 11 & 12, 2010

Taking Refuge: Psalm 31

  1. How do you picture David “trap” (vv.1-5)
  2. What turn do verses 6-8 take?  How is David’s trust rewarded?
  3. Can you express feelings of abandonment or rejection by God?  Does it show a lack of faith?
  4. Like David, have you ever felt joy in God, then felt the job ebb and flow unpredictably?
  5. What action from verses 19-24 do you most need to take:  Fear God?  Take refuge in God?  Place hope in God?

July 13, 2010

To Be the Envied Person: Psalm 32

1.       What is the source of blessedness or happiness in this psalm? 

2.       What has David realize about God (vv.6-7)

3.       Unconfessed sin sapped David’s strength like the summer heat.  What picture would you use to describe forfeiting God’s blessing by covering up your own sin?

4.       God freely forgives those who trust in him.  How has that message been driven home to you recently?

July 14, 2010

The Upright: Psalm 33

 

1.       What aids to worship do you see employed in this psalm?  For what reasons is the psalmist praising God (vv. 4-11)

2.       How might verses 16-19 bring hope to people in harm times?

3.       What are two things about creation that have impressed you about God’s power?

4.       Do you believe that God controls even “the plans of the nations”?  In what sense?  Does that comfort you?

July 15, 2010

What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord?: Psalm 34

 

1.       Peter uses this psalm to comfort those who suffer for doing good (v. 8 see 1Pet 2:3; vv. 12-16, see 1Pet 3:10-12) How do you reconcile the “good things”  the Lord promises with the acute suffering experienced by some Christians?

2.       How does the Christian life “taste to you: Sweet? Sour? Spicy?  Salty? Bitter? Bland?  Why?

3.       In what way is this psalm also your testimony (v.22, see Rom 8:1)?

July 8, 2010

July 9, 2010: Friday Night Fellowship Study Guide

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July 9, 2010 Friday Night Fellowship Study Guide

Psalm 24 (Sunday) Treasures of the World

  1. What lines of this psalm indicate a procession into the city (see 1 Ch 15:25-29)?
  2. What does David stress about God in verses 1-2?  How does that relate to his question and answer (vv. 3-4)?
  3. What is meant by “clean hands and a pure heart”?

Psalm 25 (Monday) Compassion and Loving-kindness

  1. In which verse does David ask God for protection from his enemies?  What sort of enemies did he face?
  2. In which verse did David ask for guidance? What characterizes God’s “path” (v.5)?  Who will God guide?
  3. In which verse did David ask for forgiveness?  Does God have a bad memory (v.7)?  To what aspect of God does David make his appeal?
  4. What are you most in need of today: protection, guidance, or forgiveness?
  5. God promises to guide those who admit their sin, humble themselves, obey his covenant, and live in awe of him.  Can anyone hope to be guided?

Psalm 26 (Tuesday) How to Walk in Faith

  1. What does “blameless” mean (vv. 1, 11)?  Faultless?  Sincere?  From what you know of David, what “grade” would you give him on the Lord’s test (v.2)?
  2. Given a “sincerity scale” of 1 to 10, how would you score on the Lord’s test? Why?

Psalm 27 (Wednesday) Power of Overcoming Heartache & Hopelessness

  1. If you could ask “one thing” of the Lord, and have it granted, what should it be?  Why don’t you ask?
  2. What three qualities of God does David recall in verse 1?  What do you think he means by each?  In what ways might these verses reflect David’s life experiences?
  3. How has the Lord been like a “light” or a “stronghold” in your life this past month?  What situation has driven you to him to find shelter?

Psalm 28 (Thursday) Life and Death Situation

  1. When you call on your best friend for help, what do you need most:  A listening ear? A handout? A detailed game plan? Companionship?  Why?
  2. What is David’s main concern (vv.1-5)?    A premature death? A miscarriage of justice? A plea for mercy?  Why do you think so?
  3. When have you been as desperate as David (vv. 1-5)?  As confident as David (vv. 6-7)?
  4. Music helps David better express his feelings to God (28:7, 27:6, 26:7) How about for you?  What words, song or poetry best sums up how you are feeling about God?

January 27, 2010

Wisdom and Compassion

Filed under: Devotion in Job, Uncategorized — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Job 4:1-6

 

 

Wisdom is much sought after.  It gives insight or discernment for life situation.  Wisdom is cerebral.  Compassion, on the other hand, is rooted in the heart.  It is an awareness of the suffering of others and the desire to relieve it.  Today’s passage gives us an example of wisdom.   

 

Commentary:

The word “Teman” means south.  It is reckoned in the Bible that Teman was renowned for the wisdom of its men (Jer. 49:7).  Eliphaz, a resident of that place, probably was a wise man.

Wisdom and compassion should not be confused as one.  Having wisdom does not necessary mean having compassion.  In fact, in the case of Eliphaz, they are evidently incompatible. 

Eliphaz was wise but was also unsympathetic to the plight of Job.   He was wised enough to ask for permission to speak, but he was brute enough that he could not be refused to speak (v. 2).  At the time Job needed comfort, Eliphaz gave me bitter medicine. 

Eliphaz summarized that Job could not take his own medicine.  He thought that Job’s past advices given to others were easily applicable on Job himself.   He called Job impatient.  The word impatient can be translated as offended.  The point that Eliphaz tried to make was this: How could Job be offended by his own advice?

 

Meditation:

When we are hurting, we all want compassion.  But when we are fine, we would like to be viewed as the wise guy.  Have we considered to learn from Jesus, our Lord?  He is gentle and meek; we ought to learn from him. 

 

Prayer:

Pray that we all get to know the depth of the love of Christ for each and every one of us, you first and others next.

December 1, 2009

Avoid Being the Collateral Damage

Filed under: Uncategorized — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 9:20 am

Tuesday, 12/1/2009

Avoid Being the Collateral Damage

2 Chronicles 21:12-20

 

 

God still intervenes in human history.  This is especially true when the leaders and authorities act atrociously. He would use different agents to bring them into justice.  Sometimes, the agent is economic hardship, sometimes it is a plague, and sometimes it is a war.  Unfortunately, citizens under the wicked leaders suffer because of the judgment.  The suffering is like the collateral damage on civilians during a war and is largely unavoidable once God brings the judgment. 

When Johoram killed his siblings, he had upset God tremendously.  When he decided and went on to lead the people astray, God had His prophet send a letter to pronounce His judgment.  When the troop invaded, there were for sure collateral damages.  Fortunately, the invasion was like a raid rather than an occupation.  As future kings continued to err, the invasion became more and more painful toward the end of the Judah kingdom.

 

Commentary:

Christians of today live in a different time from Johoram.  In the democratic system, we have a voice to elect leaders that are godly and just.  In exercising our choice, we can choose wisely and thereby avoid being the victim of collateral damage in God’s judgment. 

The question is this: Do we choose leaders who are godly and just or choose leaders like the public do?  Let’s see some of the ways the public choose a leader.  Some general public chooses leaders because they can bring them some good.  Asians have caught up with this idea lately and start choosing candidates who promise to bring them the pork chop.  Sometimes, the public chooses leaders because they have the same color skin or belong to the same group.   At time, the public has a certain ideal of social or fiscal policies and chooses leaders accordingly.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should separate from the world.  We should not primarily use the standard of the public to choose leaders.  We have to first choose the godly and just candidates.  We need to examine the life of the leaders and see past their skin color or their policy preference. 

 

Meditation:

What is your political outlook?  I pray that Christians are Jesus first before Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative.  I hope that Christians always make Jesus their king over any ideological or social aspects in life.   

 

Prayer:

Pray that our life is full of grace and truth like Jesus our Lord and Savior.

 

Devotional Verse:  21:17-18 and they came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18 So after all this the Lord smote him in his bowels with an incurable sickness.

September 22, 2009

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