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Day 336: Psalm 130, Proverbs 18:13-15, John 1, Ezekiel 44, 45 Sanctify ourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among us (Joshua 3:5) Most people will be excited to have new things, wearing new clothes, moving into a new house and entering into a new year. The newness of all these bring a sense of hope and an expectation that all the past and the old are gone and we anticipate something good will come along our ways. With the new year of 2016 just 2 days away, we too anticipate a great year ahead of us in 2016. For us, believers,  we are in Christ, we are new creations, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Do remember that when we mix old and new, clean and unclean things together, the new and clean things will be made dirty. The new and clean will not make the old and the dirty things clean. That is why God commanded the priests to teach His people the difference between the holy and the unholy, clean and the unclean and the

Day 335: Psalm 129, Proverbs 18:10-12, Luke 24, Ezekiel 42,43 The concluding chapters of the prophetic book of Ezekiel are about th literal building to be constructed by a truly repentant and restored nation of Israel, and in which they will worship the Lord by offering and sacrifice BUT purely as a commemorative purpose just as what the church is doing today to partake the bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus' past work (1 Cor. 11:23-26). In today's New Testament's reading in Luke 24:33-35, the 2 disciples' eyes were "opened"  at the point when Jesus broke the bread with them. All these show the importance of traditions. Billy Graham has 10 Christmas traditions that he observed and one of which is to ensure the manger scene is an integral part of his Christmas decoration. This year, our family started a tradition whereby we will just stay at home on Christmas day and even till the New Year for guests to come. We did our usual ONE big Christmas dinner but

Day 334:Psalm 128, Proverbs 18:7-9, Luke 23, Ezekiel 40-41 Put to the Cradle to be on the Cross Blessed Christmas to All! We celebrate the birth of our Beloved Jesus Christ. Why would He come as a baby? Men have sinned against God and hence deserve to be punished. But Jesus committed no sins. In fact, Herod said for the 3rd time in Luke 23:22 that he found no reason to put HIm to the cross. But, the people cried out to release Barabbas, a rebellion and a murderer. Even the thief said that Jesus did nothing wrong. Therefore on this Christmas day, as we remember the birth of Jesus, we must know He Who had no sin was made sins purely and solely for our sake. He was born to die. He was put to the Cradle to be placed on the Cross. He came to take our place of Punishment so that we will enjoy Paradise forever (v41-43). Therefore, let us go to church today to worship and to thank our Lord Jesus Christ, the true meaning for Christmas. https://twitter.com/EstherOngHC (please click this link

Day 333: Psalm 127, Proverbs 18:4-6, Luke 22, Ezekiel 38-39 The Penalty For Our Sins: PAID IN FULL In Ezekiel 39:23-25, we read of how God dealt with the people of Israel, His chosen people. They went into captivity for their iniquity because they were unfaithful to Him. Hence, God hid His face from them and gave them into the hand of their enemies and they all fell by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions God had dealt with them. This shows our God is a just Judge. Surely, we want a judge who is impartial and pass a verdict without fear or favour. On the other hand, we want a judge who exercise mercy. This was exactly happened in Ezekiel verse 25 that God had mercy on the whole house of Israel and brought the captives back. We saw God demonstrated this on the Cross. We all have sins and hence warranted to be punished. God,being just MUST handed down the penalty/punishment. Out of His mercy, He provided a sacrifice to bear that punishment.

Day 331: Psalm 125, Proverbs 17:25-28, Luke 20, Ezekiel 34-35 On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand My daughter just came back from the annual Girls' Christian Camp (GCC) yesterday. Their theme this year is "Stand Firm". As I read today's Psalm verses 1 & 2, I am so comforted by the fact that we can stand firm, cannot be moved and will stand forever by merely trusting in the Lord Who is like Mount Zion and as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. What a comfort! What a promise! Abraham Lincoln once said, "Be sure to put your feet in the right place and then stand firm." Therefore, my friends, I wish and pray that you will find Jesus Christ this Christmas as Jesus is the solid Rock that you must find to stand on forever . Jesus, the Rock is definitely the right place. He is the mighty Rock, Fortress, Protector, the Rock where we are safe, our Shield and our place of Shelter (Psalm 18:2). https

Day 332: Psalm 126, Proverbs 18:1-3, Luke 21, Ezekiel 36-37 Celebrate the Birth of A Saviour! Imagine this scenario: a child was playing in the mud and hence his shoes and his feet were full of mud. As he wanted to enter his house, his Mom gently stopped him and said that he needed to wash his feet first. It is only after his feet were cleansed that his Mom allowed him to enter the house. It is precisely the same thing with our spiritual life. Many have tried to do good works to enter  Heaven. However, they have not addressed the issue of the uncleanliness of their hearts due the sins committed. In Ezekiel 36:25-27, God said, "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will ke

Day 330: Psalm 124, Proverbs 17:22-24, Luke 19, Ezekiel 32-33 Do Our Duty Well Yesterday, we note that it is important to spread the true meaning of Christmas far and wide. Today, in Ezekiel 33:.2-4, we can see that God makes the watchman liable if he fails to do his duty to warn the people of the impending judgment if he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity. None of his righteous works shall be remembered but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die (v13). We know that as Christians, we are watchmen and watch women. Let us take heed and carry out our duty well for we surely look forward to God's best compliment of all that is "Well done, you good and faithful servant.." (Matthew 25:21). What better time to do this duty of sounding the warning trumpet during Christmas to share the urgency of the Gospel. https://twitter.com/EstherOngHC (please click this link to Twitter to view a visual)

Day 329: Psalm 123, Proverbs 17:19-21, Luke 18, Ezekiel 30-31 The Magic of Christmas is Not in the Presents But in His Presence Christmas is just around the corner.  Many take the opportunity to travel and to have long vacation. How about us, believers? Our family believes that this season of time is the best time of the year to open our home to invite people to celebrate Christmas with us. I personally was invited to a home by a church member when I just became a Christian almost over 30 years ago. It was at that moment I felt so blessed to be in a Christian home celebrating true meaning of Christmas. Today's word of wisdom, Proverbs 17:19 says "whoever builds a high gate invites destruction". Hence, it is a reminder for us to open the gate of our home and invite people to celebrate true meaning of Christmas, instead of letting people think that Christmas is all about shopping, santa clause, presents and holidaying! CHRISTmas is all about Jesus CHRIST. Let us spread

Day 328: Psalm 122, Proverbs 17:16-18, Luke 17, Ezekiel 28-29 Beauty & Wisdom In God It is natural that when people praise us we will feel good. However, we have to always remind ourselves not to allow these praises to "go up" to our head! There is a saying, "Love is not big-headed, it is big-hearted". This is exactly the warning that God gave through Ezekial to the King of Tyre in 28:17, "Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings." We must remember that our beauty, knowledge and wisdom are all from the Lord. We have to always glorify God and not ourselves. Today, as we prepare to go to church, let us give all glory, power, praises, worship and all adoration to our King of kings and Lord of lords Who deserves all theses praises, for is by grace we have been saved, through faith—and this is not from ourselves, it is th

Day 327: Psalm 121, Proverbs 17:13-15, Luke 16, Ezekiel 26-27 Jesus - Our Security Yesterday, when my family was travelling back, the plane suddenly started shaking for a while. My daughter was worried and asked me to pray. I am glad that she knows how to turn to our Lord for help. Indeed, what the Psalmist said in today's Psalm is so true. My help comes from the Lord Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow our foot to be moved. He who keeps us will not slumber... nor sleep. The Lord  is our keeper and shade at our right hand. The sun shall not strike us by day nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve us from all evil and shall preserve our soul. The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in from this time forth and even forevermore. What a comfort to know that our Lord is watching and keeping us 24 by 7! "Where does your security lie? Is God your refuge, your hiding place, your stronghold, your shepherd, your counselor, your friend, your redeemer, you

Day 326: Psalm 120; Proverbs 17:10-12;Luke 15; Ezekiel 24-26 Don't Take For Granted What God Has Granted In Ezekiel 24:13-14, God spoke to Ezekiel that He tried to cleanse the Israelites but they would not want to be cleansed from their impurity so much so that God finally said they would not be cleaned again until His wrath against them had subsided.  God further said the time had come for Him to act. He would not hold back. He would not have pity nor would He relent. The Israelites would be judged according to their conduct and their actions. How often we too experience this. We struggle and we still want to live in sins even though we know God is not pleased at all. We take God for granted. Take heed! Our God is a sure and steadfast God. He means what He says. He is a firm God Who will not go back against His words. He will judge and punish for the deliberate sins. Hebrews 10:26-27 says, "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the tru

Day 325: Paalm 119:169-176; Proverbs 17:7-9; Luke 14; Ezekiel 22-23 Forgive and Forget In recent months, more divorce cases were referred to me. As usual, the couples need to go for counselling which is offered free of charge for them. Most of them reject such free service, citing that enough talking had been done and they just refused to talk any further. In today's Proverbs, verse 9, it says, "He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; But he that harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends." In a husband and wife relationship, the principle of "forgive and forget" is important. It is no point that we keep harping on about a matter. As advised in the Proverbs, it will separate close friends and hence, it will definitely put a strain on the spouses' relationships. Let us heed St. Peter's advice in 1 Peter 4:8, "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." https://twitter.com/EstherOngHC (please cl

Day 324: Psalm 119: 161-168, Proverbs 17:4-6; Luke 13;  Ezekiel 20-21 Remember the Giver and His Heartbeat God's heart is always towards the poor and needy. Today's reading in Proverbs verse 5 says, "He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.” And in Luke, Jesus mentioned in 2 occasions in verses 13-14, how we must invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”” and in verse 21, the master of the house..said to his servant, ‘...bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’” These are good reminders for us to remember the poor and needy during this festive season of Christmas where it is not so much about the gifts but the Giver Who has given so much for us, even His life. This Christmas, remember the Giver and the Giver's heartbeat - the poor and the needy. "Who is like yo

Day 322: Psalm 119:145-52, Proverbs 16:31-33, Luke 12, Ezekiel 16-17 Let Us Boast In The Lord The world praises the talented, favours the handsome and the beautiful and inclines towards the rich and famous. In Ezekiel 17:24, we read of how the Lord brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish. This is our Lord, the miracle-Worker. We may look down on the lowly but He exalted them. You may think that you are not talented but He will raise you up to the mountain heights as long as your sincere desire is to serve Him and to make Him known. In fact, God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord”(1 Corinthians 1:27-31). h

Day 323: Psalm 119:153-160; Proverbs 17:1-3; Luke 13; Ezekiel 18-19 KNOW JESUS Just a few days ago, I mentioned that the most comforting words from Jesus Humself are when He said ask, knock and seek and it would be given, found and opened to us. In today's reading of Luke, the words from Jesus are distubing to me even when I first became a Christian. He said in verses 25-27, "...you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ ... ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ I am sure none of us want to hear this kind of reply when we meet Jesus face to face on Judgment Day. Hence, I made it a point that I must KNOW Him. Note that Jesus did not question how little we have DONE for Him. He said He did not  KNOW us. How to ensure we KNOW Him? Nothing short of reading His Words and KNOW Him. In my book, the format

Day 321: Psalm 119:137-144, Proverbs 16:28-30, Luke 11, Ezekiel 14-15 Ask, Find & Knock To me, the most comforting words from Jesus Himself are found in Luke 11:9-13, when He said, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Note that this is a promise from God! When we ask, it WILL be given to us; when we seek, we WILL find and when we knock, it WILL be opened to us. It has no condition attached to it as well. The only requirement is that we must ASK, FIND & KNOCK! This calls for effort and perseverance on our part to keep praying and seeking God. Shall we do it right now? God loves importunate pra