Day 1: A Monday House Cleaning Read: Mt. 21:12-13; Mk. 11:15-18. As the disciples were walking into the Temple, they were impressed with the building (Mk. 13:1). However, Jesus was furious over the scam that was being done on the holy ground through money-exchanging and livestock dealings. According to Paul, we are the Temple of the living God. Thus, we must allow God to do a house cleaning of our hearts. I believe when we deeply search our hearts we will not only unmask but also clearly see the spiritual disorder. Psalmist said, “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind” (Ps. 26:2). The psalmist is not only thinking about ...

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For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15 People have approached me and said that our church needs a revival. I agree, but I personally feel we need a personal revival before we can experience a corporate revival. Recently, a few people shared with me how they feel stagnant and dead inside because they have lost the appetite for God. Some are seeking to find a formula that would bring them out of the deadness in a hope for a renewal. According to Psalm 85:6, a personal revival is to experience joy of ...

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“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42 Discouragement makes us struggle with the question “What if.” What if I had done it differently? What if I started all over differently? We hope the past would bring us comfort, but comfort is not to be found. Somehow, the confidence of doing the task well has slipped away, and we get angry at the thought of being powerless. Here, we get upset over little things that normally wouldn’t bother us. Finally, we become physically exhausted with stomachaches and ...

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1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 Do you know that in life discouragement is unavoidable? And, it will come to kill your excitement for the Lord. When discouragement sets in, your heart feels as if something has died from within. There is an inescapable numbness that drains all your energy and is heavy. You sit for a moment and wonder how quickly your excitement for the Lord has vanished. Everything feels surreal and you struggle to move on with life. You were expecting something purposeful to take place, but instead something unimaginable has happened. You had all the right intentions, but you can’t believe how things have turned out. Here, loneliness ...

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