Acts 3:6 - Inimitable Good Deeds

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6)

Helping needy people is a must for all of us. But if we only use our own strength to help the needy then the result is insubstantial. Though it still help the needy but it does not strength their weaknesses. As the crippled man described on verse 3:2, he was carried to the temple court gate everyday to ask for money. People went into the temple court might have giving him money otherwise he would have been dead. Therefore doing good deeds does help the needy but what Peter and John did was totally different. Let assume a needy ask us for money and if we don’t have money like Peter said on verse 3:6 then we might just tell that person “sorry, I don’t have money to give you; then we would probably walked away.”

However Peter was faithful to Jesus Christ and he understood the true weakness of that crippled man, who was unable to walk. To help the needy to overcome their weakness is not a person can undertake but by Jesus Christ Who worked through His people. When the needy completely overcome their frailty then they will be sincerely in rejoice; as the crippled man did in front of the people, walking, jumping and praising God.

Today’s devotion is as a Christian, we should not just to help the needy with material things but the most important action is to work under Jesus Christ’s lead and proclaims the truth. The truth is not about us, but is in the name of Jesus Christ Who can help them to overcome their weaknesses and once they undergo with God of Almighty, then they will witness and praising God.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father. Thanks for Your words today. Please give me the wisdom and strength to proclaim your gospel to the people who are in need. May Your Name be glorified through all the works I do for You, God. I am nothing without Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit in me and me in Him. O LORD, my future is in Your gracious hands. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

1 Kings 11:6 - Be Cautious When We Blessed By The LORD

So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done. (1 Kings 11:6)

I just finished reading 1 King 10-11. Praising the LORD for the Holy Spirit reminds me of the common issues which might happened to all of us. The more God blessing me then the more humble I should be. Do not follow the worldly behavior instead follow God wholeheartedly. Living in a world that is so sinnful in the eyes of God, avoid to conforming to the worldly activities but stand firm in God as Paul says in New Testament, and then proclaiming gospel to others. If Solomon made his wives and concubines to follow him instead of following them then God would not be punishing him.

God is merciful and faithful, He promised He would bless the people who followed His decrees, covenant, commands and laws wholeheartedly. Solomon was a good example when he first took over the kingdom from his father David. God answered his prayer amazingly, because of Solomon's wisdom and acts. God provided him with more he had asked for. But the sadness part was in both chapter 10 and 11, it did not show once that Solomon praising and thanking God for His provision. Rather he made his own palace so luxurious, full of golden items and his army became so strong. I can feel his being at that time of his life. He could be so haughty and egoistic. Then he walked away from the LORD who had protected and guided him because he conformed to the worldly behavior due to his most loved ones.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father. Thanks for your teaching through the Holy Spirit. I thank you that Your are so faithful and merciful. You promising to bless Your people, but LORD forgive our sins because of our weaknesses. Please make sure the Holy Spirit prompted us when we are falling away from you and we will have the strength to repent immediately with a humble heart. Pray in Jesus victorious name. AMEN!

Luke 14:34-35 Disciple is The Necessity of a Christian

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

The beginning of this chapter, Jesus Christ revealing that not everyone God invites to His Kingdom will accept the invitation. But the ones who accepted God’s invitation by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior then we should be His disciples, otherwise we will be like saltiness salt and loss its function to be God’s servant.

So verses 25-35 reminded me that “hate” all the earthly matters including myself, although this might not sound right to non-believers or even some believers. But as Paul’s teaching that our old-self died after we get baptized and now Jesus Christ living in us. If our life totally depends on God through Holy Spirit then for sure no more earthly matters will restrain our relationship with God. The two parables in these verses signify to me how to be the disciple of Jesus Christ. When I meditated after reading these verses today, I felt the two parables are tied together. The two parables are basically the same except the second parable, the king who negotiates for term of peace with the King Who is a lot more stronger than him; generally the stronger king will command what the feeble king shall do or give up to the stronger king. This signifies that disciples shall give up of anything that God want them to give up. If we do not liberate ourself from all the earthly matters then we cannot be His true disciple and we will be like saltiness salt, so we will be ineffective to this world.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father. I thank you again for Your Holy Spirit teaching me on today’s reading. Please make me a true disciple of Your Son, Jesus Christ, so I can be Your good and faithful servant. Pray in Jesus Christ victorious name. Amen!

Luke 10:42 The First Priority To Serve The LORD

but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:42)

Luke 10:25-42 indicate two inappropriate ways to serve the LORD. We all lived in a very busy world, busy at work, at home, at community, and at church etc. Therefore we hardly have time to help others and spend very little time in meditating God’s Words. The two inappropriate ways by these verses are: 1) Not serving God properly. The priest and Levites knew about God’s Words but do not act on His Words. However a Samaritan (Samaritan and the Jewish people at that time dislike each other) helped the needy, so I think this parable might cause some concern to some Jewish people; 2) Too busy and disregard God's Words. Martha complained to Jesus because she was too busy to serve Jesus, this was contradicting to the priest and the Levites whom were mentioned in the "parable of the good Samaritan”. So just serving the LORD but ignoring God’s teaching and meditating on His Words like Martha is not appropriate either. Mary, who had chosen the better way, is what Jesus exhorted us. An example of this will be like if I am hired by the Best Boss (the LORD) and worked under His great organization (Kingdom of God). If I don’t care the objective and rules and regulations of the organization that means I don’t respect the boss and the organization, all I care is my own rewards (benefits and salary etc.) If I respect the organization and the boss more than myself then I will pay more attention about the rules and regulations and fulfill the objective of the organization. The crucial perception is not about me but about the LORD and the Kingdom of God.

Praise the LORD that I experienced fairly similar situations in my life, and thank GOD that my priority has changed because of meditating on His Words. I have heard many people only spend 15 minutes or so a day to read bible and that is it; I would like to suggest that is totally not enough. Myself I spend almost one and a half hour each day to read and meditate on God’s Words now. To publish on my blog takes almost three hours. Please recognize that I am not bragging about myself but thank God because He directed my heart to willingly read and meditate on His Words. To serve God properly the first priority is to continuously learning and meditating on God's Words willingly, so we can serve the LORD in the way that He expected from us, as stated at verse 10:27.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father. Thanks for your teaching through the Holy Spirit. Please make me humble in front of You and others. Please give me the wisdom to understand Your Words so I can fulfill Your will in my life. It is not what I can do or I had done, but it is Your Words that enlightening me so I can follow my LORD Jesus. I pray in the victorious name of Jesus. Hallelujah Amen!

Luke 9:13 Do Not Hold Back On Our Offering To GOD

He replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” (Luke 9:13)

As a Christian we should understand that everything we own is provided by God. The story of "5 loaves and 2 fishes" is presented in all four gospels, which means this is a very important lesson that we need to learn. There were over five thousand people, because men alone was five thousand, then if including women and children then it would probably be over ten thousand people there, who were listening to Jesus' preaching and expected Him to heal the sick people.
 
So among these many people why only a boy was willing to give all he had to the disciples to feed others. That is why Jesus tells us to have our heart and mind like a child. From human perspectives, including the disciples who had followed Jesus Christ for so long and they also just came back from preaching God's kingdom and healing sick people, there is no way that over 10,000 people could be fed by only 5 loaves and 2 fishes. But after Jesus looking up to heaven (praising and have faith to believe in GOD) and gave thanks (Jesus already knew the outcome therefore He gave thanks to GOD), all the people there end up having a great meal, and with 12 baskets full of leftover.
 
The little boy demonstrated to us do not hold back on anything. No matter how little or how feeble our offering is, just pray and thank GOD for His provision. Then GOD Almighty will have miracle on the offering and just like 5 loaves and 2 fishes fed over five thousand people. So please provide offerings to the Kingdom of GOD no matter how small the amount is, and how old or young or weak you are, to serve GOD.
 
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thanks for giving me time to share what the Holy Spirit inspired me by reading today's verses. Please humble me so I am willingly to offer what You have given me, GOD I understand now that You are the One that make things happen. Pray in Jesus victorious name. Amen!

1 Samuel 2:9 Am I Eli's sons OR Hannah

He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails; (1 Samuel 2:9)

Just finished reading 1 Samuel 1-3 and I grasped this time is the son's of Eli and Hannah. Eli was a high priest and his sons were priests. They supposed to understand God's commands and should follow His commands strictly, instead they made changes so to benefit themselves. In comparison, Hannah prayed to God for a son and she was willing to offer the son back to God. She did offer her only son (her treasure) to God as she promised God.

As a Christian living in this wicked world, I have to be careful not to allow myself to follow my own desire so to benefit myself. Money and fame are such important matter to human beings. When God blesses His people, quite often we will gain in those earthly substances and I think this is one of the ways that God actually testing His people to see if we are more concerned about Him or about these never lasting substances.

Hope all Christians will be like Hannah and willingly give back whatever God wants us to give back to Him. Although the thing we give back to God might be an insignificant thing in human's view, like only a child (Samuel) of young age, however God Almighty will strengthen that and make that becomes blessing of many, many people.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father. I praise You, O LORD for Your provision. Everything that I possessed belongs to You, O LORD. I am only Your servant therefore I thanks for Your abundant provision. Pray in Jesus' victorious name. Amen.