Saturday, February 28, 2009

Total Commitement

Lent Devotional – Day 4


God’s Word: "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." - Proverbs 16:3
"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." - Acts 20:32


Illustration: Adoniram Judson was born on the August 9, 1788 in Malden, Massachusetts. He graduated from Brown University in 1809 and became a Christian shortly afterward. In February 1813, he set sail with his new bride for India to become a missionary. India was closed to foreigners, but Burma was open to his ministry. Soon after arriving, Judson made the commitment that: "I will not leave Burma until the cross is planted here forever." It was six years before one person came to Christ under Judson's ministry. It took him 10 years to completely translate the New Testament into Burmese. In 1825, he was falsely imprisoned as a spy for six months. Upon his release, his wife's health broke and he put her on a homebound vessel. He confided to his diary: "If we could find some quiet resting place on earth where we could spend the rest of our days in peace. . ." But he steadied himself with this remarkable postscript: "Life is short. Millions of Burmese are perishing. I am almost the only person on earth who has attained their language to communicate salvation. . ." Judson remained in Burma for 25 more years and fulfilled his earlier commitment to the Lord.

Meditation: What does the Lord want you to do? Then commit those plans to the Lord and stay the course. Today in prayer, commit your way to Christ and follow Him in all that you do.

Quote: "Give me 100 men who hate nothing but sin and love God with all their hearts and I will shake the world for Christ!" - John Wesley

Prayer: Father, I delight myself in You, and You perfect that which concerns me. I demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of You Father, and I take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Revival 2009 updates

Friday, February 27, 2009

Serious about following Jesus

Lent Devotional – Day 3

God's Word: "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." - Ephesians 4:15

"We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing." - 1 Corinthians 2:6

Illustration: Roy Robertson was a soldier at Pearl Harbor in 1941: "My ship, the West Virginia, docked at Pearl Harbor on the evening of December 6, 1941. A couple of the fellows and I left the ship that night and attended a Bible study. About fifteen sailors sat in a circle on the floor. The leader asked us to each recite our favorite Scripture verse. In turn each sailor shared a verse and briefly commented on it.

I sat there in terror. I couldn't recall a single verse. I grew up in a Christian home, went to church three times a week, but I sat there terrified. I couldn't recall a single verse. Finally, I remembered one verse - John 3:16. I silently rehearsed it in my mind. The spotlight of attention grew closer as each sailor took his turn. It was up to the fellow next to me. He recited John 3:16. He took my verse! As he commented on it I sat there in stunned humiliation. In a few moments everyone would know that I could not recall from memory even a single verse. Later that night I went to bed thinking, 'Robertson, you're a fake.'

At 7:55 the next morning I was awakened by the ship alarm ordering us to battle stations. 360 planes of the Japanese Imperial Fleet were attacking our ship and the other military installations. My crew and I raced to our machine gun emplacement, but all we had was practice ammunition. So for the first fifteen minutes of the two-hour battle, we only fired blanks hoping to scare the Japanese airplanes.

As I stood there firing fake ammunition I thought, 'Robertson, this is how your whole life has been - firing blanks for Christ.' I made up my mind as Japanese bullets slammed into our ship, "If I escape with my life, I will get serious about following Jesus." Roy Robertson did get serious. He became the first missionary of "The Navigators" and did a lot of work with Billy Graham as well.

Are you growing mature in the Lord or are you firing blanks for Christ? Today in prayer, examine your walk with the Lord and seek to grow deeper in maturity with Him.

Quote: "Four stages of growth in Christian maturity: Love of self for self's sake. Love of God for self's sake. Love of God for God's sake. Love of self for God's sake." – Bernard of Clairvaux

Prayer: I thank You Father that You are able to keep that which I have committed to You. I will think only on those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and deserving of praise. I will not let my heart be troubled. I abide in Your words and Your words abide in me. Thank You Father, in Jesus' name. Amen

Revival 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Lenten Devotional Day two - Confession

Confession

God’s Word: "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens." - Ezra 9:6

"Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"--and you forgave the guilt of my sin." - Psalm 32:5

Illustration: On September 3, 1989, Varig Airlines Flight 254 was at Brazil's Maraba Airport preparing for takeoff. Under normal circumstances the short flight to nearby Belém Airport would only take 48 minutes.

Captain Cézar Garcez consulted a computer-generated flight plan and read the number 027 which corresponded to the magnetic heading from Maraba to Belém. But Garcez was distracted while listening to a World Cup Soccer Championship game and inadvertently dialed 270 into the Horizontal Situation Indicator.

Minutes later, flight 254 took off and climbed to an altitude of 29,000 feet. Instead of heading northeast toward the Brazilian coastline and the city of Belém, the plane turned west and headed straight toward the Amazon forest.

Captain Garcez sensed something was wrong. At this point in the flight plan he expected to be able to have visual contact with the Belém airport. Despite not knowing where he was, Captain Garcez informed the Varig flight coordinator on the ground he estimated the plane would be landing in Belém in five minutes.

At 7:39 p.m., when the flight was 68 minutes overdue, the first officer identified the problem and started to explain to the captain his mistake. But the captain dismissed his explanation. Refusing to ask for help, he began counting the minutes until the plane would run out of fuel. All the while he searched the ground hoping to find an airport where he could land the plane.

About an hour later, out of fuel, Garcez made a remarkable crash-landing in total darkness in a dense tropical forest. The plane was 700 miles from the intended destination. Although all six of the crew survived, 13 of the 48 passengers were killed. Both Captain Garcez and the first officer had their commercial licenses revoked. They never flew again.

Sin blinds us to our need that we need Christ to lead us. It is only when we confess we are lost that the Lord can safely lead us. Today in prayer, look to the Lord and confess any sin in your life and receive the forgiveness that only Christ can give.

Quotes: "You cannot repent too soon because you do not know how soon it may be too late." - Thomas Fuller
"For a successful season of prayer, the best beginning is confession."


Prayer: Almighty God, who does freely pardon all who repent and turn to Him, now fulfill in every contrite heart the promise of redeeming grace; forgiving all our sins, and cleansing us from an evil conscience; through the perfect sacrifice of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Lenten Devotional Day One - Ash Wednesday

God’s Word: “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.” (Luke 15:20-21)

Inspiration: At nineteen, Al Johnson had joined two other men in robbing a Kansas bank. The case was closed by police after two other convicts were killed in an auto crash and mistakenly identified by bank officials as the robbers. Al felt sure he would never be caught. He married a Christian girl and pretended to be a Christian before her. She knew nothing of his past crime. Then someone sent him a tract in the mail, titled “God’s Plan of Salvation.” Reading it, he noticed that one of the Bible verses said, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The realization struck that salvation was for him. He could be forgiven and his conscience set free. He knelt in prayer and accepted Christ.

His life changed. He stopped a lifelong habit of lying. And after much thought and prayer he confessed his crime. His confession made television newscasts and newspaper headlines even in Canada. Under a Kansas statute of limitations, he was set free, although he chose to repay his share of the stolen funds to the bank. Today, Al Johnson is the manager of a service station, the father of three admiring children, and an outstanding Christian layman.

Meditation: “A Christian is not one who never goes wrong, but one who is enabled to repent and begin over again after each stumble—because of the inner working of Christ.” C.S. Lewis

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son. Lord, I ask your forgiveness, cleansing, guidance, strength, and healing for my sins and weaknesses. Guide me to walk closely with you through out 40 days of Lent season and the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name.” Amen.

In Christ, Pastor Latt (FBBC San Francisco)


Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Preparing for 40 days of Lent 2009

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,


Lent season for 2009 starts on Ash Wednesday, February 25 to April 12, Easter Sunday. It is the best time to come and walk closer with our Lord Jesus Christ during this season. You will definitely come to know how Jesus suffered for us, how much He loves us, and how great our salvation is, by walking along with Jesus in His final days on earth in physical. Day by day you will be encouraged by His Spirit, inspired by His words, and equip by His power. I hope that you already have plan for Lent 2009, if not here are some suggestions to plan to have a meaningful Lent this year.


  • Set a personal quiet time for reading the word of God, reading devotional materials, and time for prayer. (Early morning is the best time). Thank God for many devotional reading and audio available around us.
  • Commit yourself to attend each and every Sunday worship service without fail.
  • Commit yourself to attend Bible study classes and prayer meetings.
  • Commit yourself to do fast and prayer for 40 days. (partial fast, or rotational fast).
  • Try to involve and give more time and treasurer in God’s ministries.
  • Try to help the poor, the needy people, suffering people, and the homeless.
  • Commit to share the Good News of Jesus for soul-winning purpose. To be His evangelist.


During these 40 days, there will be special activities and program we can observe together at Church to have more meaningful and effective event. Watch for further readings.

May you all have a blessed day,

In Christ,

Pastor Latt

Friday, February 13, 2009

Learn Love Lessons from Eagles


"Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself." (Exodus 19:4)

"But ask now beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee. Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee." (Job 12:7-8)

"But they that wait unto the Lord shall renew their strength: they shall mount up with wins as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31).


Learn love lessons from eagles on this Valentine's day.
Be blessed!
Pastor Latt Yishey
Turn your speakers on for Valentine message.