St Andrew's Church, Brunei: Recent Episodes
SAC Brunei
During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
12 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
When Jewish believers from Cyprus (Europe) and Cyrene (Libya in Africa) started to tell the good news to non-Jews, God brought revival to Antioch. Until this point the church was comprised of people from a Jewish background.
Verse 25 says:
“The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord”.
Do you have personal experience of the Lord’s hand moving like this? Shouldn’t we be having these experiences too in our generation? What is stopping us? Are we just doing stuff that is not a priority of God? Many of us may be doing “good enough” things but maybe not the burning priority on God’s heart. Sometimes doing “good” can be the enemy of God’s best! We need to pray for wisdom to find God’s priority in our generation. We need to pay attention to the prophetic word of God in our generation!
“During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.” (see verse 27).
Luke gives prominence to the office of prophet, (see Acts 11:27-30). Luke considers Agabus’s prophesy important and has recorded it in this passage. In this passage God used prophesy to speak to His church, and the church was fully obedient.
Luke tells of this group of prophets in a very matter of fact manner- like it was not that unusual. It seems to have been a common experience for him to know the supernatural, prophetic anointing of God and to see the church respond obediently! Notice, there is no indication that the Antioch church were richer than the Jerusalem church. They just gave in obedience and gratitude for their salvation. Notice also that the prophesy highlighted is not about the imminent death of James the brother of John by Herod’s hand, or the forthcoming persecution, but rather to provide for their brothers and sisters in Christ at the Jerusalem church. God doesn’t spare the Jerusalem church, he doesn’t give them a way to dodge the persecution. Rather, God ensures the Antioch church provides for their physical needs during and after this tribulation.
Do we behave with obedience to the prophesy of God over our lives today? Do we hear what God is saying to our church? What has God spoken recently into our lives? How has the church obeyed? Do we feel challenged by the prophetic word of God? Do we change our behaviour when the Holy Spirit convicts us? Or do we just shrug it off, and continue without changing? Do we provide for our brothers and sisters in need in obedience to Jesus command to love one another? Use these questions to guide a time of prayer, where we ask for the conviction of the Holy Spirit after reading this devotion.
At the same time as the church were fully obedient, with many people coming to Christ, very heavy persecution broke out. King Herod murdered James the brother of John (see verse 12 above). Bad things were happening to godly believers. The Holy Spirit was powerfully moving and the devil fought against this with murder and persecution. Peter was arrested and imprisoned without charge (see Acts 12:4). This situation probably appeared bleak to the church. They did the right thing by earnestly praying to God for him. The gifts from the church at Antioch would have been seemed supernaturally timely to these persecuted believers!
Conclusion: The church obeying the prophetic word of God was crucial to aiding believers to make it through this period of persecution, and later to survive the famine in the reign of Claudius. We need to respect prophesy and the office of the prophet in the life of the church and “hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches” as John says in his letter to the churches in Revelation chapter 3 verse 22.
Suggested prayer: Dear Loving Heavenly Father. We look to you and your word to make it through our lives today and every day. We pray Your prophetic word spoken by those You have raised up as prophets shall strengthen, encourage and rebuke Your church as is Your will. May Your church be ready to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches and be fully obedient as the Antioch church was with the prophesy of Agabus. Holy Spirit, help us to search our hearts and ask these questions raised by this reading. May we hear what You are saying to Your church in 2022 and take the necessary action to be obedient. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Is there someone you think is not worthy of blessing from God or lesser than others?
That was the case in the time of Jesus. The woman caught in adultery was not worthy to be given a second chance. Yet Jesus loved her, saw her as special and reached out to her. No one could believe it. Overflowing love and grace.
Then there was Zacchaeus, a 'BIG' sinner, a big bad wolf, a cheat and traitor. He deserved to have no friend. Yet Jesus intentionally pushed through the crowd to go to him, befriended him, called him by name, entered his house and then pronounced salvation has come to him. No one could believe it either. Overflowing love and grace.
In today reading from Acts, the unthinkable happened again. Jesus always surprised us. This time, Jesus accepted the Gentiles ... the non-Jews. What the Jews thought was uniquely theirs is now for all. Imagine for a moment, if this has not happened, you and I who is reading this is not included either. Read again how it happened, the miracles, the people and then the pouring of the Holy Spirit on them. Something for many many years was assumed to be for 1 specific race was meant for all. God did not just gave a bit, He gave the same as He gave to the Jews, overflowingly in love, grace and the Holy Spirit.
He is the God is love. And He loves all. No one is unworthy or lesser.
Would you receive his overflowing love, grace and of Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit?
And would you share it, to someone you think is not worthy or simply lesser?
Prayer
Lord, you have given in an overflowing manner always. Always. And to all, with no exception. This includes me. This includes the person I see as lesser or not worthy. May I know your overflowing love, grace and your Holy Spirit. May I give it to another person, even if it just a
bit that I manage to show or give, because it is always more than enough in you. Thank you Jesus. You are so wonderful. I love you. In your precious Name I pray. Amen
The events that happened in Acts 10:44 - 48 occurred as part of Peter’s first sermon to the Gentiles. God gave Peter a vision to eat those that were considered unclean under the Jewish Law. This vision was a metaphor for God’s command to expand Christianity to include the Gentiles, who were also considered unclean by the Jews. At the same time, Cornelius had a vision. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing (v2). As a result of that vision, he sent his representatives to see Peter and invite him to teach him and his family. In that meeting, before Peter could finish his sermon, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. Even the Jews who came with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles. This is a sign of God's plan to accept Gentiles into the church without requiring them to convert to the Jewish faith first. Peter immediately saw it as an opportunity to baptize them. History was made when Cornelius and his family were baptized. It marks the expansion of Christianity to include the Gentiles. The hardness of Peter’s heart towards those he had been taught to avoid was removed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the true preacher. It makes God’s word come alive and it allows us to see things in new ways, just like Peter because of his vision. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live like Jesus, directed to do the Father’s will and be bold witnesses for Him. We require the Holy Spirit in our lives as a conduit for us to become the people God created us to be. We are powerless without Him. If you feel depleted or need strength, remember that we can always ask the Holy Spirit to fill us up.
Since life is short and uncertain and eternity is forever, the most important question one should know is, “How can I be saved?” How can I know for certain that I am right with God?
Peter and the other apostles knew that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by our good works or efforts. In this passage, Peter’s reiterates that:
- Salvation is not based on national identity nor is it based on good works.
Peter begins his sermon by saying, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation, the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (10:34-35). The application for us is that people from any background are on equal footing when it comes to receiving the gospel. God does not show partiality.
- Salvation centres on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The Bible plainly declares that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).
How comforting it is to know that God took our sin and laid it on Jesus, who had no sin of His own (Isa. 53). Because He is God, His death has immeasurable value; because He is man, His death is the perfect substitute for the sins of humans.
Isn’t it urgent for us to talk about this Jesus? Salvation spreads to others through the faithful proclamation of God’s appointed witnesses. Peter repeatedly emphasizes this point. He says, “We are witnesses of all the things He did” (10:39). He repeats that they were witnesses of His resurrection, chosen beforehand by God (10:41). He adds that Jesus ordered them to preach to the people and testify about Jesus as the coming Judge (10:42). And, he adds how all the prophets bear witness of Jesus as the One we must believe in to receive forgiveness of sins (10:43).
The point for us is that if God has saved us from our sins, then He has appointed us as witnesses to others of the salvation that is available through Jesus Christ.
- Salvation comes to everyone who believes in the name of Jesus.
Believing in the name of Jesus is specific and personal. To believe in Jesus means that I believe He is the Lord who gave Himself on the cross for my sins. I believe in the promise of God, that whoever believes in Him receives eternal life as God’s gift, not based on any human merit, but only on God’s free grace. To believe in Jesus means that I no longer rely on anything in myself to commend myself to God. Rather, I trust only in what Jesus did on the cross as my hope for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Do you believe in this powerful name of Jesus?
Suggested prayer
Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for this gift of salvation. Increase my faith and confidence in you to share this message of the free grace of God that can save anyone from their sins. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen
Children are curious and inquisitive little beings, very capable of knowing spiritual things and having spiritual thoughts. They question the meaning of life and ponder on their purpose in the universe they are in, but without the complexity of the human limits. They dream of the impossibilities, even entering into imaginative worlds and universes of possibilities - a type of "heaven".
Children receive the concept of God without doubt. He simply exists in their world and somehow is at work in the universe they are living in. They see His wonders. They observe His beauty. Even in the midst of pain and darkness, they remain hopefully as long as God exists in their hearts and minds.
Hence, Jesus was clear to His disciples to never stumble children from their innocence and basal faith, instead to nurture them and direct them to the deeper knowledge of spiritual truths - Jesus Christ, Himself! He adds that they had to be like children to inherit the kingdom of God. To have the childlike faith-filled-innocence!
Many of us are in need to be like little children, again! We have become complicated and doubtful. We are skeptical of the goodness of God, and resist His will. Here, we are reminded again:
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3).
Let us be childlike and learn from the innocence of children.
Today’s devotion is about a Roman Centurion by the name of Cornelius. Luke describes Cornelius as a man who feared God. He also led his household to worship God. Cornelius was also a charitable man who gave generously to poor. Some might say surely this man deserves to be in heaven! But the truth is this, despite his good works, he was not saved yet until he hears and accepts the Gospel.
Maybe some of us know someone who is not a Christian but is generous and considered a good person according to society. There are many people who are charitable that we read in the news who has donated to people in need and this is what we are reading in these verses with Cornelius. The world has a works based mentality and sometimes some may assume that by their good works, God would accept them. This is where we need to turn to Scripture and Scripture tells us that one cannot be saved by their works but by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. Do we know someone like Cornelius who needs to hear the Gospel despite being considered ‘good’?
The good news is that we have a God who does not wish anyone to perish but a God who seeks the lost. God was at work at Cornelius heart and sent an angel to call him by name which then led Cornelius to his path of salvation. This is the promise of good news that if someone seeks the Lord with all their heart, the lord will be found by him. What we draw from this passage is that all of us have an important part to play in God’s plan. In the latter verses of this chapter, we read that it is Peter who shared the Gospel to Cornelius. We are all witnesses for Christ and we are all commanded to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth. God’s heart is for the lost and our heart should beat to the same tune. Our heart should ache for the lost who needs the Gospel desperately. Who has God placed in your path recently? Who can you reach out to in your circle?
Prayer:
Lord, I thank you for the story of Cornelius which has reminded me of your commandment to share the Gospel to people who are lost. Holy Spirit, guide us and tutor our hearts to reach out to the lost. Give us divine opportunities to share the Gospel and plant seeds in people’s live so that one day, we will hear stories of the salvation. Amen.
20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
In Acts chapter 9 we can study about the transformation of Saul of Tarsus. And because of the character of this man and the nature of his transformation, he sets for us what is a pattern for the transformed life that can really be followed by every man. The characteristics that we in his life become really the features of all the transformed lives that God is transforming.
First of all, the transformed life begins with faith in the Savior, We can read it in verses 1-9.
Second, the transformed life is Prayerful life we can read in verse 11.
Third, the transformed life is a obedient life we can read from verses 13-16.
Fourth, the transformed life is a purposeful life we can read in verses 15-16.
Fifth, the transformed life is a Spirit filled life in verse 17.
Six, the transformed life is a obedient life we can read in verse 18.
Seven, the transformed life is a Expresses life where he went around to preach about Christ verses 20-22.
The question this morning I want raise to all of you is your life transformed? If it is transformed is that life centers around Christ?
Transformed life is a changed life.
Amen
10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptised, 19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.
This scripture tells us about how Saul experienced God and was converted into the Christian faith. Saul was the most unlikely person you could expect to become a Christian. He had zealously led the persecution of Christians in the early church. People were afraid of him. He was cruel, nasty and violent. Despite this, Jesus chose to reveal Himself to Saul on the road to Damascus and asked Saul why he was persecuting Him (and by extension, His people). Saul was instructed to go into the city where he would be told what to do. He was struck blind and taken to a house. Then God instructed a man called Ananias to visit Saul and minster to him. In verse 11, God speaks to Ananias in a vision and gives him very specific instructions on how to approach Saul. There is no description of Ananias apart from that he was ‘a disciple’. God chose an ordinary believer for this task. I imagine that Ananias must have been quite scared to be told to go and speak to Saul. In verses 13 and 14, he tried to ‘reason’ with God! It is understandable if you think about Ananias’ state of mind when he saw the vision from God. Sometimes when God tells us to do something that we think is strange or challenging, or just something that we do not feel comfortable doing, we question God. As if we can talk sense into God and He is the one who is being unreasonable! This is perhaps why God gave Ananias such specific instructions on what to do, so that Ananias would have confirmation and reassurance that this really was God’s instruction. In verse 15, God told Ananias that Saul was His chosen instrument to proclaim His name. Despite his initial reluctance, Ananias obeyed God and the powerful Saul was converted, he had his sight restored and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. God had already called Saul, so by the time Ananias arrived, Saul was praying and ready to receive the Holy Spirit.
I have wondered why God needed to send Ananias, when He could have told Saul everything Himself. However, God sent Ananias so that Saul would be personally ministered to by a brother in Christ. It was Saul’s first experience of fellowship, and it was a way to bring Saul into the family of Christ. He was baptized and spent several days with other believers in Damascus. Saul had become part of the body of Christ. This is how God converts people. He reveals Himself to them. He convicts them of their sin. He sends believers, often ordinary people like Ananias to minister to them and to lead to Christ and into the family of believers. If you feel too insignificant to make a difference, remember this story. Ananias, an ordinary disciple, was called by God to lead Saul to Christ. He obeyed (after a period of attempted negotiating with God, but he did what he was told nonetheless) and as a result the apostle Paul (Saul’s name is changed to Paul after his conversion) started his amazing ministry to so many countries and people. This is an encouragement to be obedient to God’s instructions to us, because God can use all of us in an amazing way!
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
Luke states in chapter 8 verse 1, when speaking about Stephen:
“And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.”
In Chapter 8 verse 3 Luke notes:
“But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.”
This Scripture reading teaches that religious people can have an agenda diametrically opposed to Jesus’ agenda. Sometimes we can fool ourselves that our priorities are God’s priorities. We can despise other people and say God would never work that way, or through that person. He was even speaking out murderous threats and going to foreign cities to persecute Christians. These are some of Saul’s attitudes and actions before Jesus turned his life around as described in this passage. Saul made a completely wrong judgment. Saul thought he was helping God keep his religion pure. However, Jesus had a completely different view and asks Saul as described in Acts 9, verse 4:
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
Why do godly Christian people suffer in persecution in the Book of Acts? Why does God tolerate corrupt authorities? These are some of the questions raised by this passage. In verse 4, Jesus feels the suffering of His people as His own suffering. Luke describes in chapter eight, the arrest, mistreatment and imprisonment by the Jewish authorities, of Christian believers. Jesus is telling Saul in verse four above, He personally feels the pain of His Church.
We would love for God to instantly justify the righteous and punish evildoers. In this passage, He does exactly this. He suddenly, startlingly and supernaturally reveals Himself. He rescues His church, which was meeting in various houses in Damascus, from Saul’s imminent persecution. He disempowers Saul from being a feared and powerful enemy of the church, to being a blinded, vulnerable, humbled and astounded man who needs help from others, as he can no longer even look after himself for the next three days.
Saul in verse 5, did not even know who was speaking to him. The bright light that revealed Jesus’s presence blinded Saul for the next three days. Jesus transformed this angry, competitive, proud, self-righteous Pharisee into a shocked, dumbfounded, humbled, and very vulnerable and blinded state. Luke states in verse 9, Saul is so shocked he neither eats or drinks for the next three days. We later learn that his whole life is turned around from this day forward by and for Jesus. Jesus has reached deeply into Saul’s life and changed him forever.
We can have confidence in Jesus and our Heavenly Father. He knows everything that is happening to us, He always sits on the throne over all authorities and principalities. Sometimes like in this passage, He intervenes suddenly and supernaturally. At other times He may allow difficult experiences to cause unjust suffering to His people. But even in this latter case, He shall make all things anew at the Final Reckoning on Judgment Day.
Notice, that God just did this by Himself. He didn’t need to wait for His church, or work through some pastor to rebuke Saul. Afterwards he chooses by His own Sovereign Will in verses 10-19 to involve a godly man called Ananias. God moves both without and with the involvement of His church. We can exercise faith in Him without fretting about evil people and their evil plans. No one ultimately can defeat Him. The doors that He opens no-one can close and the door that He closes no-one can open. See Revelation 3:7.
Suggested prayer: Dear Jesus, may we take the warning not to become self-righteous and proud like Saul. Give us discernment, revelation and “new wineskins” to join and support the move of God, the new wine of God over the church in our nation. We rejoice that You always sit on the throne and are never surprised. May we be reminded of the Sovereign Power that You alone wield over the nations of the earth. May we always put our hope in You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
In these verses, Simon had claimed that he was someone great, but we are not called to proclaim that we are great. We are called to be humble. C.S. Lewis says,” humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.” Humble people do not brag about how great they are; instead, they wait for God to exalt them. In Matt 23:12, “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Through these verses, we are reminded to be humble. God seeks humility in the hearts of His people, and the results of humility are what we should strive for.
Humility is childlike. What can children teach us? Childlike humility means you don’t try to exalt yourself over others like what Simon did. If you tell them a story about something cool you did, they won't try to outdo you, as an adult might. They'll just stare at you with their eyes wide open, thinking you're really cool. We need to be teachable like children. We need to be pliable in God’s hands. We should be a disciple who is willing to be taught and eager to learn. Childlike humility means you associate with the lowly. Some adults may believe they are too good or important to hang out with certain people, but children do not. Childlike humility means you’re not wise in your own eyes. Children know they’re lacking wisdom and understanding, and they know they need guidance and instructions. And childlike humility also means you need to be submissive, letting others have their way and putting others’ wants before our own. Ephesians 5:21 says, “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Humility is important because it is required to love God and other people. We cannot find true happiness unless we love God and our neighbor, and we cannot find true happiness unless we are humble.
I find this interesting because I remember listening to Pastor Betty’s message for 2021, and it was on the same Benediction Blessing verses. And today’s Scripture reading is exactly the same, and I am sure the Holy Spirit wants to remind us of “The Blessings of His Name” for 2022.
Today, our mobile phones are loaded with New Year wishes, TV and radio personalities wish into microphones and cameras – we hear them from so many different sources.
Carefully note what God tells us: “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; The LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.’ So, they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:23-27)
In this way, God places His all-important NAME on us, His people. A comparison would be that of signing on a cheque. An unsigned check is void and worthless until the owner ‘s “name” has been placed upon it. Our lives, our years, our purpose in living are “void and worthless” until God places His Name upon us.
Looking back at 2021, there were some real surprises for us, both good and bad.
We live in an uncertain world: lock-down days, international instability; uncertain economy; natural disasters; sickness or even death, many without warning.
Amidst all of this, God’s Blessing is that He KEEPS us. We seldom see how God works “behind the scenes” protecting, preserving, and warding off danger. But HE does!
“The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you” How frightening it would be to have the Almighty Creator “frowned or scowled” at us? For this is exactly what our sins deserve! But because of our Savior, Jesus; in His NAME God treats us FAR BETTER than we deserve! For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear (love and trust) Him Psalm 103:10-11
“The LORD look upon you with favour and give you peace.” When someone is talking to you; if you turn your back, refuse to look at them it simply means you dislike them for something that they did against you! But God “turns His face toward us;” we always get His full and undivided attention irrespective of how we treated Him. What a Blessing to know that in these days of distractions and interruptions; God always “looks upon His children with favour;” we can talk to Him at any time and have His full attention! And He gives us “peace.” “Peace” is the assurance that “in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
The New Year, and it’s every new day, will probably still brings its share of uncertainties. But remember God has “placed His name upon us” we have far more protection than this!
Therefore, with joy and thanksgiving, we eagerly continue receiving “the Blessing” of God’s name upon us as the Lord continues to bless us in this New Year.
See you in Church tomorrow as we receive God’s gracious blessings and live as God’s dear children in the New Year 2022!
In these verses, Stephen was preaching to the Jewish leaders the history of Israel, from Abraham to Isaac, to Joseph, to Moses and so on. He kept emphasizing the fact that Israel always seemed to reject God's true witness. Stephen mentioned in v51 that they “always resist the Holy Spirit”. They did not allow God to cut away the carnality of their inner being. They would not allow God to speak to them through His messengers. They were self-righteous and self-sufficient.
Today, we can resist the Holy Spirit by rejecting what He has revealed, ignoring what He has said, and disobeying His commands. We are resisting Him when we close our ears to what He has to say because we find it offensive. Everything the Holy Spirit reveals to us is true. We must approach God's Word with a heart that submits to its authority, a heart that wants to know "the mind of the Spirit," and a heart that wants to conform to what the Spirit says. Let us not be people who are stiffnecked and would not bow to humble situations, people who are uncircumcised in heart and ears who can’t hear the spiritual truths, and people who follow our ancestors’ bad example that will adversely affect the way we believe and practice.
If you are resisting the Holy Spirit today, repent and put your trust in Christ. He never disappoints and He certainly knows what is best for us. When God calls, there is no valid excuse. God said that there is a limit to his pleading with us (Gen 6:3).
May the light of Christ fill your heart and mind as you celebrate His birth today. Blessed Christmas!
Isaiah says, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” While Isaiah is announcing good news, did you notice that he is also admitting the reality of the darkness? Darkness can be real, powerful and painful and it’s not something that’ll easily go away. The worst thing about the darkness is that the evil one behind it has a list of ways to keep you in the dark.
Hurts and aches cast a shadow on the lives of many. Halls aren’t decked with boughs of holly when families go through pain and sorrow. And there’s not a lot of Fa la la’s when finances are tight and the bills aren’t paid. Another of Satan’s greatest weapons for keeping us in the dark is sin; which permeates all of our lives especially when we try to rationalize them.
The darkness can seem unrelenting and unending, but the truth is, the LIGHT HAS COME!
For the Savior was born this day in the city of David, the Light that dispels the horrible darkness. John (1:5) puts it this way, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” He is the Light of the World and He has come to give us hope, life and peace. The darkness of sin and the devil, the darkness of sorrow and pain are overcome by the Light that shines in the darkened stable.
When Isaiah says, “For to us a child is born, to us, a Son is given”, he is saying that this Son of God, is yours! You can look upon His face and know that it’s true.
Isaiah wrote his words about 700 years before the first, incredible Christmas. But he wrote them as if they had already happened. The Light wasn’t just coming, it had come. The darkness wasn’t going to be dispelled, it was dispelled. So, whatever God has promised you is as good as done. The Light has come to dispel your darkness! His peace isn’t just coming, it’s come! Your hope isn’t on the way, it’s here! The peace of which the angels sang is yours now.
He is the Mighty God who can and will deliver you. He is the Everlasting Father who loves you with an Everlasting Love! His zeal to bring you out of the darkness and into the Light; took Him to the cross. He suffered your depression, sadness, loneliness. He took into His body the darkness of guilt, regret, and fear that threatens to overwhelm you.
“His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Stephen Covey stated that “We judge ourselves by our intentions. And others by their actions.”
I have thought much about it and realized that this is quite true. Covey was implying that we ought to be aware of our hypocrisy when we make our judgments on others based on our own good, but often flawed, intentions.
Hypocrisy is a real problem! In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law of their hypocrisies. They seemed righteous on the outside but were wicked on the inside. In Isaiah, we will find God confronting His people of their hypocritical worship for they worshipped him with their lips but their hearts were far away, for they do not fear Him (Isaiah 29:13-14).
What do you suppose God will find in your heart? Will He find a true worshipper or a hypocrite? Will He find a heart that delights in Him or despises Him? Jesus made it clear in Matthew 7:3-5 that we ought to pull the plank from our own eyes before trying to take the speck from a brother’s eye. Being aware of our own insecurities, weaknesses and prejudices is a start to breaking away from hypocrisy i.e., “pulling the plank in your own eye.”
Today’s reading from Psalm 139:23-24 is a prayer of humility. It calls for us to be vulnerable before God as we ask Him to do a thorough “heart surgery” on us. It is a prayer that implores God to reveal our deepest intentions so that the “plank in your own eye” can be removed.
Would you consider asking the Holy Spirit to search your heart and mind, and reveal to you anything that offenses Him – perhaps your lack of faith, hatred, unforgiveness or disobedience? Friends, if we desire to grow and mature, we must learn to acknowledge and admit our weaknesses and insecurities, especially our deep seeded hypocrisies, and allow the Holy Spirit to wean us from them. Let’s learn from the Psalm and humble ourselves before the Lord.
The Lord be with you always.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, You know my heart and its hypocrisy. Help me by Your power to live a humble and honest life before You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
God created us to be worshipers of him. If we do not worship God, we will worship something or someone else, and worship of anything but God is self-destructive. If we worship God alone, however, he fulfills us. This is seen in Zephaniah’s prophecy as he describes the city of Jerusalem in two very different conditions – in a state of rebellion and distance from God, and then in a state of restoration and fellowship with God.
At the heart of the contrast is misdirected worship stemming from the disease of pride. Pride shuts down the flow of worship, is toxic in our lives, and fools us into serving false gods. Humility is the medicine – when we turn and humbly seek God, a life of joy and righteousness results. God gives us “pure speech” and transforms us into true worshipers as we accept his grace and yield to his lordship over all things (Zeph. 3:9). As both our Judge and Redeemer, God is “the mighty one who will save” us from ourselves (v.17).
God’s redemption was ultimately fulfilled in Christ and, unlike Zephaniah’s listeners who knew only in part, we are privileged to know this fully and live in the joy of it. Through Christ we become citizens of the restored city of worshipers, living an earthly expression now of our heavenly hope. We join with God’s ancient people, singing aloud to praise the Lord for removing the judgement we deserve (v.15).
God delights in freeing us to worship him. The Israelites were not the only ones singing in Chapter 3. Verse 17 says God loudly sings over his people, extravagantly rejoicing in their restoration. The gladness of God’s heart when sinners turn to him echoes throughout Scripture. In Luke 15:10, Jesus says “There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents”. God desires all sinners everywhere to turn to him (2 Pet. 3:9).
Are we ready? Is the worship of our hearts and direction of our steps in our homes, our church, and in our community revealing loyalty to Christ and the fragrance of Heaven? The One who sang his creation into being will one day see his people completely renewed as the worshipers they were meant to be and will rejoice over his work of grace as he marvels at the work of his hands.
Briefly, in the book of Hosea, for the first part (Hosea 1 – 3), is about the family life of Hosea. His marriage to an adulterous woman, Gomer, is symbolic of the relationship between God and the Israelites. When you read from Hosea 1, you will note that it was the Lord who ordered Hosea to marry Gomer “because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery” (Hosea 1:2). Their sins have broken the relationship with God, but yet God continued to love them and longed to take them back.In Hosea 3, it started by God asking Hosea to love his wife again even though she has been unfaithful to him and left him for other men. He obeyed and paid 15 shekels of silver plus barley to bring her back as it was evident that she has become a slave thus need to be bought. Then in verse 4, it states that Israel would go through many days “without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol.” This indicates the fallen state of Israel. After that (verse 5), then they will return and seek the Lord their God, coming before Him in trembling and to his blessings in the last days.From this short chapter, we learnt:(1) Obeying God is not easy. He may ask you to do something you could never imagined that you are able to do. Like Hosea, he was asked to love his unfaithful wife again and bring her back to stay with him. What a difficult challenge. Not only is he to obey God, but he would also need to forgive his wife despite all her sins. We know that it is not easy to forgive those who have hurt us deeply. For some, it may take years before they can truly learn to forgive but there are also some who would refuse to forgive at all. With the Lord’s help, we can learn to forgive and let go of all grudges and bitterness stored in our hearts. In return, forgiveness helps to release yourself and the other person from whatever anger that binds you both. If someone has hurt you in the past, take the initiative to be the one to forgive them and seek restoration of that relationship. God took the initiative to forgive us when it is our sins that broke the relationship. He came to us because He loves us and longs to restore that relationship. What about you?(2) The grace of God. Hosea had to pay to bring Gomer back although she was his wife. It is just not fair, is it? Because after all, Gomer did not deserve this since she was the one who has been unfaithful. She was the one who left Hosea. She did nothing to deserve Hosea’s gracious treatment or even the money he had to pay for her freedom. But he did that in obedience to God and also because he loved her. Have we turned away from God’s love too? Have we also been unfaithful to God too? We have, sometimes, but thank God for extending His grace to us. Thank God for His gift of salvation. Thank God that He was willing to lay down His life to redeem us from our sins.(3) Restoration. After a period without any leadership, or spiritual service or guidance, the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God. The restoration will be when the Israelites turn back to God and when that happened, they will be able to enjoy the blessing of restored relationship. This is like being deconstructed and reconstructed again. Like a loving Father, stripping His people of whatever is false and continue to teach, train and transform his children through his discipline. As we can see from here, God is using life events to turn our hearts back to Him. The God we know and love is a God of second chance. He loves us so much and awaits us with open arms to restore us. If you do know of anyone who need God’s love, share that with him/her this Christmas so that he/she may be restored back too and begin a new life with Jesus.Suggested prayer:Jesus, help us to live a life in obedience to you daily and remain faithful always. Amen
Jesus is often referred to as the Prince of Peace. This name comes from Isaiah 9:6, a passage often quoted during the Christmas season.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
THE BRINGER OF PEACE
This title, “The Prince of Peace,” implies that Jesus is the one who can and will bring peace. He is the peace giver, and is the ruler of peace. Jesus said this of Himself in
John 14:27:
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
THREE LEVELS OF PEACE
The peace that Jesus brings has three different levels. First and most significant is that we have peace with God. Through Jesus Christ, we are redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled to God forever. Though we were dead in our sins living as enemies of God, Jesus’ brought peace to our relationship with Him through His work on the cross.
The Prince of Peace also provides peace within us . In the midst of confusion, anxiety, and uncertainty, He gives us peace. When we experience trials, tribulations, and sorrows, He brings peace. Jesus’s peace is a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Phil 4:7). It defies our feelings and is not impacted by surrounding circumstances. It is a supernatural peace given only by The Prince of Peace.
Finally, He provides peace we can experience with others. Part of the promise we have in Jesus Christ is that one day there will be peace. Hatred, conflict, and enmity will not last forever. Peace is the final word, and it is brought by the only one who can bring it, The Prince of Peace.
The angels announced His birth perfectly; “Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
The Christmas story usually centres around Mary and the baby Jesus. Joseph is a supporting character who is present with Mary and Jesus. Even the wisemen, shepherds and angels are sometimes more prominent in the story when it is re-told at Christmas. In this devotion, I would like to focus on Joseph’s role in the birth and life of Jesus the Messiah. The scriptures tell us that Joseph was faithful to the law and when he found out that Mary was pregnant, he had initially planned to divorce Mary quietly in order to protect her dignity. He had not yet understood that Mary was pregnant with the Son of God, and had probably thought tht Mary had slept with someone else. However the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him the truth, that Mary had conceived as a miracle of God to give birth to a son who would save the people from their sins. Joseph chose to believe the angel of the Lord and did what he was instructed to do faithfully. Think about how admirably he behaved here. Joseph was a young man, possibly in his late teens or early twenties. He was obedient to God and additionally, he showed respect to Mary and God in his decision not to consummate their marriage until Jesus was born. He must have had a significant amount of maturity to put his own reputation and self-interest aside in order to obey God and to remain faithful to Mary and the baby Jesus, both of whom God had entrusted to him to care for.
Soon after this, God continued to speak to Joseph through dreams in order to help him protect Mary and Jesus from the murderous King Herod (Matthew 2:13 -23). In a story similar to Matthew 1, Joseph was told to take his family to Egypt by an angel of the Lord in his dreams and he obeyed straight away. This saved Jesus from being murdered. There is no suggestion of unbelief, complaint or conflict in Joseph’s mind or in his actions. He was told what to do, and he believed and obeyed. He did this in order to protect his family. This was his duty as a husband and father, and he did it faithfully. After Herod died Joseph received another message from an angel in a dream, that those who were trying to kill the child were dead. He took his family to Israel but after yet another message from an angel, he moved his family to Nazareth. There, Joseph and Mary raised Jesus together, and He grew and became strong (Luke 2:40). We know that Joseph and Mary had taken their family (they had more children after Jesus was born) to the Jerusalem festival of the Passover every year, when we read the story of Jesus staying behind and teaching at the temple aged 12 years. This indicates that Joseph carried out his duties as the spiritual head of the family consistently and over a long period of time.
So what do we know about Joseph from all this? He was a faithful and obedient man of God, who carried out his duties diligently and in the best interests of his wife and children. He did what was necessary to protect them and to ensure their survival and spiritual well-being. He put God’s will above his own. He had a close relationship with God. He did not complain. He loved and respected his wife. In other parts of the Bible, we learn that he was a carpenter who taught Jesus his skills so that Jesus also had a livelihood. In all this, Joseph demonstrated how to be an earthly father. I believe that God chose Joseph to be Jesus’ earthly father as much as he chose Mary to be his mother. Joseph was faithful and obedient, and therefore God entrusted him the duty of raising His son Jesus on earth. A father’s role is just as crucial to a child’s development and well-being as a mother’s role. Joseph is a fine example of how to be an earthly husband and father according to God’s will. He may have had a supportive role in the nativity story, but he was no less important for that.
Suggested Prayer
For husbands and fathers: Father God, thank You for what we can learn from Joseph’s example. Help us to be faithful and obedient as we care for our wives and children. Help us to be mature and sensitive to Your guidance in order that everything we do may be done according to Your will, for the benefit of our marriage and family. Help us to love our wives and children well, as you have taught us to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen
For wives and children: Father God, thank You for Your word and teaching. We pray for our husbands and fathers, that You may strengthen them and bless them. Help them in their walk with You, that they may be faithful, obedient and sensitive to Your guidance. We thank You for placing them in our lives. Help us to love them well, as you have taught us to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews[a] among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. One of the interesting things about the Bible is it doesn’t pretend that Christian people always have good attitudes. In this case even when the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully and visibly over the lives of the church, there arose, at the very least, a negligent mind-set and possibly attitudes of racism and prejudice. Greek Jews were treated as second class by Hebraic Jews. Notice in verse 2 all the disciples gathered to discuss this, perhaps as they knew it could quickly turn into a lot of trouble. When God meets us powerfully, we still must be humble about our flawed state as individuals and as a church community. Sometimes people can be filled with the Holy Spirit and still have very flawed attitudes. When the blessings of grace are poured into our lives, we should not assume it is because we deserve these! We need to check our hearts. The disciples made a wise decision. On the one hand there was a serious issue of making sure poor widows in need were helped by the church, and on the other the disciples did not stop what Luke in verse 4 describes as the church’s “praying and ministering of the word”.In choosing these seven men full of the Spirit and wisdom, they chose those who with sensitivity and spiritual discernment could bridge the two groups and ensure the church competently, without prejudice could minister to the needs of all the widows, regardless of race or nationality. Why did Luke include this incident? Perhaps to highlight a near miss, where the work of the Holy Spirit could have been quenched by the sins of racism or at least significant negligence. Thanks to the wisdom and leadership shown in the anointing of the Holy Spirit, they managed to redeem the situation. We therefore, should take note, as a lesson to teach us to avoid the same mistake. There are other examples of racism in the Bible. A not exhaustive list would surely include Jesus himself as described in Matthew 27:27-31. He experienced very severe racism from the Roman guards under Pontius Pilate. He was mocked, spat on, verbally insulted, had his beard pulled out, tortured with the crown of thorns and whippings. Racism played a large role in how Jesus was treated by the Roman guards. He was considered from an inferior people of no status and therefore, it did not matter how he was treated by the “superior” Romans. Paul and Silas were whipped and imprisoned in Philippi as their assailants assumed they were somehow also from an inferior background and failed to realise they were full Roman citizens who were entitled to more rights and a better judicial process. (See Acts 16 from verse 20 onwards). In a case from the Old Testament, Moses’s sister Miriam starts to speak in a racist manner about Moses’s wife. God immediately brings discipline against her, afflicting her with sudden-onset leprosy. (See Numbers 12:1-13).Why is this important? Because we are called to love God and others. Racism is an attitude not borne of love, but arrogance, a pseudo superiority, a prejudice, a jaundiced bitter view and an irrational hatred. It is also deceitful, lying about the faults of a whole people group in a lazy and ignorant fashion. Jesus says in Matthew 25:40 “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” Jesus makes clear, when we despise people, we despise Jesus. We need to watch our attitudes to others and ask for God’s help to love others as He commands us to. The Christian church is the most diverse organisation on the planet. We are in every country, and in nearly every people group. The church contains a huge range of languages, cultures, and identities. We are all one in Christ. We need to love and respect each other and value others as Jesus commands. The good news in today’s reading is the church overcame these issues and the ministry of the Holy Spirit continued powerfully. Suggested prayer: We pray Lord for your wisdom and love to fill our soul and spirit. We pray for unity in the Body of Christ as we seek to reach the lost for Jesus. We pray for continuing wisdom for our leaders to guide the church away from the traps of racism and prejudice. May we value each other regardless of nationality, ethnicity, economic status or any other worldly attitude. May we hunger for fellowship with the Body of Christ and with Christ our Head. In Jesus Name. Amen.
The background of today’s passage is that the apostles were arrested for the second time. They were just freed from prison by an angel of the Lord and the apostle went back out to Jerusalem to preach the Gospel. Again, the Jewish leaders threaten the apostles to stop teaching about Jesus, salvation and resurrection (v.28). Incredibly, Peter and the other apostles defied their warning and replied “We must obey God rather than man”.
Obedience to God.
In the face of real persecution and arrest, Peter and the apostles essentially told the Jewish leaders, we will not listen to you. We will not stop preaching about Christ. When human values conflict with biblical values, it is clear, biblical values and God’s commands must prevail. In today’s culture, there are many opposing human values that threatens biblical values and people might find themselves confuse or under pressure to accept what the world says. So much so that, it is unfortunate to read in the news that some churches have succumbed to the pressure of man and left God in the passenger’s seat. They chose the approval of man rather than God.
Daniel’s 3 friends were under tremendous pressure to disobey God from King Nebuchadnezzar and worship an idol. If anyone was found not worshipping it, they will be thrown in a fiery furnace. Daniel’s 3 Jewish friends refused to bow down and went against the popular tide (Daniel 3). They trusted God was with them in their decision to be faithful to God rather than men. In the face of uncertainty and in the face of fear, just like Peter and the apostles, they knew God was with them even in the fire and in any difficulty.
Obedience is not always easy but we always trust God to give us strength to obey him. As we are approaching Christmas, we celebrate trusting and knowing that He is our Emmanuel. We celebrate knowing that our savior was born to live a life of obedience to His Father to the point of death on the cross.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please give me a humble heart to surrender to your instructions at all times. Help me obey to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Give me the strength not to succumb to worldly pressure and values and enable me to stand firm and glorify your Holy name.
This passage describes the difficulties the apostles faced in preaching the Gospel and carrying out God's will. The early church experienced the Lord’s power through many miracles performed by the apostles (5:12,15,16). Jesus had told the apostles that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them to be His witnesses (1:8). Sometimes obeying God will put us in a place of danger and harm. But as soldiers of the cross, we must be ready and willing to obey our Commander without hesitation or complaint. The apostles were performing miracles of healing and deliverance, and then got put into prison. The Lord sent an angel to deliver them, and in doing so, they were commanded to “Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life” (5:20). That command will surely put them into trouble again. They did not question the command and went to the temple courts at daybreak (5:21).
Because of their obedience to God, they feared the Lord’s holiness and know that they have the Lord’s power through the Holy Spirit. Whatever the circumstances, nothing could stop the Holy Spirit from guiding people in the work of the Gospel. God was in charge. Similarly, we need to have that same fear of the Lord’s holiness and ask God for this power through the Holy Spirit for us to deny ourselves and take up the cross daily. Obedience to God is a way to not only worship Him, but also to get closer to Him, prepare for whatever He leads us to, and grow as a person. He knows what is best for us and how to grow us to be stronger and followers of Christ. So, let us cultivate good habits and demonstrate to God that we are willing and able to do what he asks of us.
Today’s passage starts like this: Vs 32 “All the believers were one in heart and mind”, they sold their possessions and brought the money to the apostles, leaving it to them to administer the funds. They were so committed to God and to one another that they were willing to “have all things in common.”. One of those who sold a field and gave the proceeds to the church was a man named Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas. (Verse 36)A question for us to think about this morning is “What made those early Christians sell their property and give to the poor through the church? It’s in verse 33 that Luke reveals the source of this amazing community’s unity and generosity. While only the apostles were endowed with “great power” to testify to Christ’s resurrection, the entire church receives “great grace”. Grace enabled these early Christians to transcend the fascination with self and replace it with concern for the whole community as the highest priority. So along with great power and grace, stewardship is about willingness, and not about compulsion. The early church exemplified one “heart and soul”—they were totally committed to giving to God, whom they loved beyond themselves. When we follow Jesus, there is a serious rearrangement of our relationship to money. Jesus calls us to a generous and self-emptying way of life. Luke 12:33-34 says, “Sell that which you have and give gifts to the needy…. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Luke 18:22 says, “When Jesus heard these things of the rich ruler, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven, then come and follow me.'” Yes, invest yourself in the church; invest yourself in the people of God! Fyona Campbell—is an English long-distance walker who walked around the world covering a distance of 20,000 miles over 11 years and raised £180,000 for charity. She wrote about her experience in a series of three books. Walking through jungles, deserts, and a 400-mile-wide minefield, she earned her label “the greatest walker of them all.” During her walk, she was robbed and beaten; stoned by suspicious villagers; arrested for spying and detained by officials; taken to hospital with typhoid and malaria; she was near breaking point yet she still managed to walk every step of the distance. On one occasion, she was taking a break from her journey and she was in a cab in Johannesburg and got to talking to the driver about her journey. The driver said, “So why are you doing this, anyway?” She said: “Because I said I would.” The driver replied: “Who did you say it to?” She said: “Myself and to God” Nobody made her do it. She could have quit at any time, but she did not. That’s what giving to the church is all about. It’s about challenging yourself to achieve something great in your lifetime by giving your heart and soul cheerfully and gratefully to God and Christ’s Church. Perhaps when someone asks us, why we give so much time and money to the church unconditionally, we will respond “Because I said I would.” “Who did you say it to?” Let us respond: myself–and to God. Let this season of advent be a season of giving back to God and His people! Amen!
What keeps you for being special as a Christian? We have different reasons, example, lack of education, not much gifting, don't know any VIP and so forth.
Seriously, what is your reason?
Whatever it may be, consider this verse,
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled". Peter and John were merely fishermen, no chance of going school, not to mention graduate with a degree, yet they were special. The religious leaders were marveled by them! Something extraordinary about them.
What were their conclusion of the disciples' 'special-ness'? Here it is, "And they realized that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13) Simply "they had been with Jesus."
Have you been with Jesus? No one can remain the same when "they had been with Jesus." Habitual negative thinking and emotion lose control over our lives. We have power to overcome sins and temptations. We know God and His words. Our prayer life are transformed. We have boldness to share the Gospel. We just love Jesus and people. Our tongues are transformed. It just keeps getting better.
Thus one thing to take away- just be with Jesus. He is available.
I remember when I was younger and would go through my mom’s magazines, there was always an advert page dedicated for psychics and their contacts, horoscope readings detailing what all the signs would be facing that month. As I was reading Daniel, I thought to myself that if magazines were a thing back in Babylon, it would’ve sold well. In the ancient world, it was the New York City of style, glamour, beauty and astrology. Like Babylon, our society is fast, affluent and captivated with new-age mysticism.
This is why Daniel 2 is so relevant today; it’s an amazing account of how a believer should live in the midst of an idolatrous, sensual culture where it’s being swept by the latest new-age trend.
Nebuchadnezzar has a bizarre dream, and he demands that his astrologers not only interpret it but also recount it. And should they fail, it’s “off with their heads”! In response, Daniel shows deep concern, not only for himself and his friends but also for hundreds of others who were at risk. Daniel cared about the society in which he was living in, and he’s not about to let fanaticism destroy it.
This is a model for how we should relate to the people of our day. For it is Daniel’s character that gains him favor; the king’s official is about to spread terror, but Daniel stops him with tactful, wise words (v.14). Daniel urges his friends to pray diligently, demonstrating his utter dependence on God (v.18). Daniel shows compassion toward the magicians and astrologers who are about to lose their lives; he pleads on their behalf because he knows the king’s edict is unjust (v.24). He is humble before the king and careful to give glory to God for what he is about say (v.27-28).
Daniel boldly unveils God’s awesome plan. And what is God’s plan for the ages after all earthly kingdoms fail? Verse 44 says “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed”. The stone described in verse 45 is none other than Christ, on whom the church is built (Eph. 2:19-20). He is our cornerstone. In today’s society and when faced with a similar situation, let us remember to boldly proclaim the Rock of our salvation.
In today’s passage, we read about the astonishment of the people who just witnessed Peter healing a beggar crippled since birth. The people who gathered around Peter and John could not believe what they saw. Like people today, they cannot believe that God could bring about a miracle in someone’s life. They would rather believe that somehow Peter and John possess magical powers rather than God. That is a consequence of spiritual blindness for those who does not know God. What did Peter do here? He used this opportunity to preach the Gospel to them. Peter understood that the people surrounding him needed healing as much as the lame beggar. Many do not realise it but their spiritual state has been crippled by sin and by their refusal to worship God.
When we are given an opportunity, it is our responsibility to point them towards Jesus. Peter was prepared to share the gospel in that instant. Often some of us are not prepared to share the Gospel when an opportunity presents himself. For example, we cannot think fast enough what to say or by the time you think about what you want to say, the opportunity to share is gone. In the youth discipleship ministry, we just had a message on sharing our personal testimonies. One of the main points was that we must have our testimony ready and this entails us knowing what to say and how to say it in a succinct but impactful way. One of the ways is practice sharing the gospel with your leaders, with your family or your friends. Sharing of one’s testimony can be the difference between a person turning to Christ or live the rest of his life not knowing God because someone failed to share the gospel. All of us are giving this duty to testify about God. So be prepared to always give an answer for the hope that you have. (1 Peter 3:15).
Peter preached boldly and courageously, not afraid of repercussions. Sometimes we fail to share our testimony or the gospel because we are afraid of rejection or afraid or negative impression it might cause. In this passage, Peter was direct in asking them to repent and turn to God so that they may be forgiven. Sometimes, we can skirt around the issue of sin and guilt because we are afraid people might get offended. But if we fail to let people know that we have all sinned before God, how does the gospel come in? There would be no need for a savior if we do not realise that all of us have sinned before a Holy and Righteous God. There is no good news without the bad news. The good news is this, our God is gracious and merciful. Jesus came and paid a debt that no one of us could have paid ourselves. Repent so your sins may be wiped away and times of refreshing may come from the Lord (v.19). This is the amazing grace that we need to tell the world. What an amazing sight it would be to see one commit their life to God that the Bible tells us that there is joy in heaven when one sinner repents.
Prayer:
Father, we pray for a desire to share Your truth for you have called us to make disciples. We ask for courage and boldness to share the gospel to those around us. We ask for divine opportunities to share your love, grace and mercy and also an obedient heart to share when the opportunity arises.