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E4C: El Cerrito
Chinese Christian Church |
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Devotion written by Pastor Brian Cheung10/31/2008 Friday Luke 1:1-411/1/2008 Saturday Luke 1:5-2511/2/2008 Sunday Luke 1:26-3811/3/2008 Monday Luke 1:39-5611/4/2008 Tuesday Luke 1: 57-80 11/5/2008 Wednesday Luke 2:1-20 11/6/2008 Thursday Luke 2:21-39 11/8/2008 Saturday Luke 3:1-20 11/12/08 Wednesday Luke 4:31-44
10/31/2008 Friday Luke 1:1-4Careful Study of the Word Memory Verse: ESV Luke 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We are living in a unique time. Everyone seems to know Christianity, but not many follow the teaching of the exact truth. That is why people on the street say love is supreme and become tolerant or even participate in the lewdness of the sexual revolution. Today, Dr. Luke encourages the followers of Christ to examine closely the scriptures. Take Time to Read The book of Luke was written around 58 A.D. That would be likely before the book of Mark, and for sure before the book of John and after the book of Matthew. Given that only one gospel has been written, Luke set out to give another account of the events that had happened. His goal was to conduct a careful investigation of the accounts and wrote the accounts in consecutive order (v.3). By and large, Luke succeeded. He filled in a lot of details that other gospels did not have. Nevertheless, the gospel according to Luke often provided another angle to the same event and to the person of Jesus. We have to read carefully of all four gospels to get a complete view of Jesus. The four gospels in the New Testament (NT) represent a summation of all accounts from eyewitnesses (vv.1-2). As accounts go, eyewitnesses should have a different angle of the same event. After all, viewing from the front of a person should have a different description than that of the viewing from the back. If the accounts are identical, reasonable persons should doubt the forthrightness of such accounts. Hence, the gospels in the NT are not identical but agreeable. Only careful reading of the four should give us a good picture of who Jesus is from many angles. The Exact Truth We are all familiar with the story of the five blind men and the elephant. In the past, no one would say that any of the blind men understands what the elephant is like. Nowadays, people would not change the moral of that story. But on viewing issues, the tolerant culture contrarily teaches us that everyone has the truth. In other words, everyone is right to a different degree. Fortunately, most of these people are not employed to build a bridge. Similar to engineering issues, partial truth is never the truth on any issues. Luke insists that we know the exact truth about the things we have been taught (v.4). He does not want us to be sloppy in our attitude toward our understanding of Jesus, God, and faith. Why? This understanding is important because out from this truth, we develop our worldview, our interrelationship with God and men, and our lifelong goals. Imagine a miscalculation on the projectile of a space travel, it would send a rocket to land on Mars instead of the moon if it has enough fuel. Likewise, misunderstanding of the exact truth often results in the confusion of the leaders, the believers, and the loss of witness of the church. That is why the people inside the church viewing pornography is equal to the people outside of the church. Meditation: The exact truth matters. Tomorrow apostate or heretics sits in the pew today. We are all saved by the blood of Jesus, the word of God. Spending time to study the word is one the three most important tasks in the life of believers. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Give me the discernment to know the exact truth. Let me humble myself and learn from the Bible teachers you put in my life. I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen. 11/1/2008 Saturday Luke 1:5-25The Story of a Godly Couple Memory Verse: ESV Luke 1:16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The first account Luke gives is the family of Zachariah and Elizabeth. It is a great story in 11 verses. It tells of the disappointment, the faithfulness, and the unbelief of a godly couple. It speaks of an incredible miracle. Finally, it highlights the greatest gift of all. It is a story that warms our heart and gives us great lessons. A Godly Couple Have you been faithful but it does not seem like God notices? If you have, then you know how Zachariah and Elizabeth feel. They had a deep disappointment in their life. They had no child—a sign of blessing from God. It seems like God did not notice their disappointment. Does God really miss anything? Surely God saw the deeds of this couple and called them blameless and righteous. God is omniscience, and He is also sovereign; His blessings and timing are not dictated by our moments of urgency. We should be glad of that, because some urgent prayers to God look really unwise in hindsight. Yet God will surely bless His people according to His way and at His timing. Knowing that God is omniscience and is sovereign, we must faithfully carry on our daily tasks. This couple gives us a great example. Despite the disgrace of not having the blessing (v. 25), they continued to serve God faithfully (vv. 4-5, 8-9). Then the angel met Zachariah in the temple. He promised that a son would be given unto him, but it was so incredible; Zachariah had a hard time believing it (v. 18). Because of that, the angel disciplined him with dumbness until the birth of his son. But the discipline was a blessing in disguise. Through this minor miracle, Zachariah knew that the promise would become true and acted upon it. God always cares for His people and blesses appropriately. We should always keep our hope, which is rooted in the salvation of our Lord Jesus and the person of God. The Incredible Miracle Our generation is quite advanced in medicine. The in-vitro fertilization can help couple with fertilization, but no technology can reverse the natural cycle of women. After menopause, the womb is dried out and cannot be a nurture ground for gestation anymore. In that sense, what God did was incredibly impossible. He reversed the womb of Elizabeth. But if God can only do what is possible, He would be quite ordinary. As a song goes, “My God is so great, so strong, and so mighty, that there is nothing my God cannot do.” The greatest gift of all Among all these incredible and wonderful truth, we can miss the greatest gift of all. In the middle of this story, Luke remarks that the baby will be filled with the Holy Spirit. God dwelling in men is the greatest gift of all. Thankfully, we too like the child of Zachariah are filled with the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Meditation: We need to thank God for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to forgive our unbelief and to help us be faithful and blameless in our walk. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, forgive my sins of unbelief. I thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit. Let me be strong and faithful in my service to you and others around me. I ask in the wonderful name of Jesus, Amen. 11/2/2008 Sunday Luke 1:26-38Mary and Her Blessing Memory Verse: ESV Luke 1:28 And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Today teenage premarital pregnancy is an acceptable if not a trendy thing to do. Therefore, the pregnancy of Mary needs to be understood in the context of her time. At her time, premarital pregnancy certainly would bring shame to both the man and woman; moreover, adulterous pregnancy would mean death to a betrothed woman. The story of Mary’s pregnancy, therefore, offers a poignant reminder of what it means to trust and obey God. Who is Mary? Mary was a virgin betrothed to Joseph. Although we know nothing about her before the appearance of Gabriel, we can imagine that her thought should mostly be about the impending marriage. She might be thinking about how to run a home, what she should learn now to help her future husband, and what their kids would look like. The thought of an angel appearing to her was probably the last thing she had in mind. That is why she pondered on what the salutation of Gabriel meant. An even more improbable thought would be bearing a child before marriage. Pregnancy would convey an adulterous relationship punishable by death. Consequently, Gabriel presented a thorny blessing. But notice how accepting Mary was to the news of her pregnancy. Her concern was not why me but how that would be accomplished. To that concern, Gabriel pointed out that her relative Elizabeth was now pregnant with a son and that this was a work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Mary showed her total acceptance of this thorny blessing with a humble position of being the bond-slave of the Lord. All believers are similar to Mary in three aspects. First of all, we are all bond-slave of the Lord because our salvations are purchased by the blood of Jesus. Secondly, we all have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When we believe, the Holy Spirit comes upon us to lead us and to guide us. Lastly, we are all asked to carry out God’s will in our life. Do we respond without hesitation like Mary? We have to obey God and let God reign over our concern of our daily tasks, our future, and our image. The Blessing When Mary obeyed, great things happened through her. She would conceive Jesus. Jesus would be in the lineage of King David and the Son of the Most High. The name of Jesus means “He Saves.” Jesus is the Son of God who came. He experienced our sorrow and pain. He received scorns and rejections like we had, yet He gave without reservation. He died on the Calvary and bore the sins of you and me. Through it all, He never regretted and took His love back. At the very end, He still petitioned that our sins of ignorance be forgiven. He saves all from sins. Sin is anything against the will of God. Paul said in 1Corinthians 6:9-10 that “neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” Homosexuality is a sin no matter how far the US law gives permission for it. Are you one of them? Over seventy percent of American men practices adultery through internet pornography. Are you one of them? Covetousness is in all our heart, however slightly. Do you want to be saved from sins? If you do, believe Jesus as the Son of God, repent of your sins, and commit your life to Jesus. Meditation: All believers are a chosen vessel of blessing, like Mary, when we trust and obey God. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I repent of my sin. I ask that the blood of Jesus washes me clean. I pray that I can live a life of obedience and please you. I ask in the precious name of Jesus, Amen. 11/3/2008 Monday Luke 1:39-56The Blessings and the Transformation Memory Verse: ESV Luke 1:46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you know that the blessings of God follow you where you go and when you speak? Today’s lesson is a great reminder of what God can do through us when we humble ourselves and submit to His will. The Blessings of Christians (vv. 41-45) When the angel told Mary of her immaculate conception, he used the pregnancy of Elizabeth as a confirmation. So Mary left Galilee in a hurry to see if Elizabeth was indeed pregnant. Surprise awaited her when she walked in the door. When Mary greeted Elizabeth, Elizabeth became ecstatic upon hearing Mary’s voice and started blessing Mary loudly. What is in Mary that caused a strong response from Elizabeth? We know from v. 43 that Mary was already conceived by the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit in her was the reason for the Holy Spirit in Elizabeth to respond. A couple truths here can be applicable to our lives. One truth is that the Holy Spirit can be present in more than one person at the same time. That is why I can have the Holy Spirit in me and so can everyone else who believes in Jesus. It is also the same Holy Spirit in every believer. The other truth is that the Holy Spirit can come through in the voice and reach the soul of a person. This is important because the Bible said that there is no righteous man, not even one (Rom 3:10). And no one seek after God (Rom 3:11). We were formally dead in sin; only the voice of the Holy Spirit awakens us. We are now blessed with the Holy Spirit indwelling in us; our voice has the power to awaken others who are dead in sin. Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ need to preach the word of God to save the unbelievers from sin (Jam 1:21). The Transformation of Christians (vv. 46-56) We now turn to the song of praise of Mary. It is a life transforming song in three ways. The first is the humbleness of Mary. Mary had legitimate reasons to reject or to complain this interruption or burden in life. Instead in v. 48a, she was humbled by being chosen for this task. Secondly, Mary saw herself as a vessel of blessing. All generations will be blessed because of her deed. Lastly, Mary recounted the promise of God and knew that God did not forsake His promise. I think we need to take Mary’s perspective in our life. We need to see our burdens and interruptions in life as a blessing. We should be humbled by being chosen to receive that test. What a relieving thought that is. We also need to see that we are chosen vessel holding the blessings of God. We can choose to give or withhold that blessing. When we choose to bless, we will greatly benefit the generations to come. Finally, we need to know that God’s promise never fails. We will never lose hope even in a great difficult situation. When Mary humbly saw those three things, she had nothing but praise. She praised God for His character. The mercy (v. 50), the mighty deeds (v. 51) the dominion (v. 52), and the justice of God (v. 53) are great reasons for praise. Meditation: Today, we need to see that we have the blessing of Holy Spirit in our life. We need to have the meekness of Mary to see the great things God is about to bless us with. Do we choose to praise God? Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit. I now know I can awaken souls that otherwise would deny you. I also know that I can be a vessel of blessing. Please use me to accomplish your will. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen.
11/4/2008 Tuesday Luke 1: 57-80The Perspectives of the Arrival of an Anticipated Event Memory Verse: ESV Luke 1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Have we had anticipation of a great event? For certain, this election is going to be historic in that either we have a black president or a woman vice-president. What changes may come from this election is yet to see. Outside of politics, is there any anticipation in your own life? Today story of the long anticipated birth of John the Baptist gives us perspectives of what we should do when our anticipation arrives. Naming (vv. 57-63) The first thing after the birth is to name the child. When we put a name on a task, we define it or perhaps define its goal. When parents name a child is to project the path of that child. Names in the Bible have great meaning. A careful consideration of the birth name is perhaps the most important task of a parent. The name always carries the hope and blessings of the parent to the child. Today, some of you are not quite parents yet and wonder how naming is related to you. There are two issues. The first is your own name. Do you live out the meaning of your name? Or if God has blessed you in some way that your name no longer fits the blessings, should you can change or add another name? Abram changed his name to Abraham when God blessed him. My father named himself John after he believed. And he had been preaching the word of God till he died. He lived out his name. The second is to name the things you do. Instead of calling your daily work the mundane name, give a name to it. For example, going to school can be changed to Gare (Get a real education) or Operation High Achievement. Naming something implies ownership. Own up your tasks and name them all. The Power of Speaking (vv. 64-67) Brother and sisters in Christ, God has given us power when we speak His truth and when we give Him praise. When Zachariah opens his mouth regarding the anticipated birth of John, the people in his village and in his country all became fearful and pondered about God. If we daily praise God and/or speak the truth of God’s word in front of people, people around us would come to know and to believe God as well. The Remembrance of God (vv. 68-71) The arrival of John shows that God always remembers His promise. Likewise, when our prayer is answered, it shows that God’s promise is still true. My wife and I recently are prompted with the thought of purchasing a small townhome near the church. Rev. Huang and I both live far away, so our support to the growth of the word ministry is not optimal, and frankly the travel is taking a toll on me. We put this thought in our prayer. And a townhome came up in El Sobrante for about $130K. We put in an offer for $100K. After much negotiation, the bank countered back for $105K. We accepted but the bank did not respond back for several days, which is unusual. My wife and I prayed earnestly yesterday that the will of God be carried out. We asked that the will of God be done and either block the purchase or complete the purchase. My wife and I have perfect peace, knowing either one way or the other is the will of God. An email came 10 minutes after our prayer session ended. It said the bank approved. We know God remembers us and His promise to me. Here is the kicker; the bank accepted the deal at $100K! We could not believe our eyes. I know God visited me long ago to tell me to raise a 1000 people in El Cerrito for His cause. Yesterday, I knew he remembered His promise. Brothers and sisters, God remembers His promise through answered prayers. The Purpose (vv.68-71) Those who are saved must all have this great conversion in their life. The conversion event is not there for no reason. Just like the birth of John was chosen to deliver salvation to others, today men and women of God are also chosen to deliver salvation to others. We have a purpose in our new life. We are the creation of God for good works (Eph 2:10). Meditation: Brothers and sisters, there are not much time left to do the work of God. We certainly do not know for sure that we will live another day. We are even less certain that Jesus would not come back in our life time or in the life time of our next generation. For sure, we know that the good works that God has given us has its timing and its opportunity. With that in mind, start naming the tasks on hand. Throw away the ones that God has not called you in and start taking up the ones that God has put in that place. Speak powerfully on the ones that God put you in. All the while, know that God’s promise never fails. We will accomplish our work of bringing salvation to our generation, for this is the purpose of our calling. Prayer: Oh Father, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for remembering me when I start forgetting the purpose of my salvation. Let me rededicate my life in serving you, proclaiming your name, and living out your purpose in me. I humbly ask that you grant this favors in my life in the wonderful name of your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.
11/5/2008 Wednesday Luke 2:1-20The True Liberation Memory Verse: ESV Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Senator Obama is now elected the President of United States. For a lot of African Americans, this day is a day of true liberation. Some Americans of other race feel the same way. Today we will look at a passage that reminds us that true liberation lies not in the power and authority of this earth. The True Authority Caesar Augustus was probably as powerful if not stronger than any America President. Short of India and China, he was the absolute ruler of the civil world. So when he ordered a census to be taken, who would dare to disobey? Even the pregnant mother and father of Jesus had to travel to Bethlehem. But his decree was just a part of the plan of God. In so doing, the prophecy of the Savior being born in Bethlehem was fulfilled. God used earthly authority to accomplish his will. Nothing is outside of the plan and the will of God. God’s plan is perfect in timing and in situation. See in v. 6 that the days were completed for her to give birth. Not a month early or a month late. Moreover, in the same region also had shepherd living there. They were the lowliest and poorest people. Yet God intended to bring them the good news of salvation. The True Liberation God is the true liberator. No authority on earth can change life for the better inside out. The good rulers on earth may provide more resources and freedom for the physical bodies in a prosperous time. When they do, people can be happy for awhile, but good time does not last forever. Americans are in turmoil now because of economic recession. Although they blame it on the president, economy is actually cyclical, and recession actually comes around every twenty years or so. The length of the cycle can be debatable, but the certainty of a recession is inevitable. Hence, there can be no everlasting happiness from any earthly authority. God liberates people from the inside out. The birth of Jesus sets God’s plan of liberation in motion. Jesus would change the conditions of men from the inside out. If there is any grief, pain, or depression, Jesus can replace them with the joy of knowing Him. Jesus makes this great joy ready for all people (v.10). Hence even the lowly and poor rejoices, like the shepherds did, when they accept Jesus as their Savior. The Truth When people have something that excites them, they tell others. Here we found the shepherd telling others the truth that a Savior was born unto them. Today, the truth still has not changed. Jesus is the true liberator. Meditation: Brothers and sisters in Christ, do we rest our comfort in political leaders? If you have put your faith in either the Republican or the Democratic candidates in the past or in the present, you will be disappointed. The true liberator is Jesus. We are always free and are winners over life when we entrust ourselves to Him and His cause. Prayer: Dear precious Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to save us all from our miserable conditions. We pray that the power of your gospel can come through us clearly and spread toward our family, our community, and our nation. Amen. 11/6/2008 Thursday Luke 2:21-39Careful Study of the Word Introduction: I had several opportunities to talk to people opposing Proposition 8 last weekend. The people came in different age, race, sex, and sexual orientation. Their one striking resemblance is that none believes in God. All have no hope beyond this life when there is not a God. Whatever they want, they better get it in this life because there is nothing after this. Therefore, any missed opportunity and deterrence to their perceived rights of pleasure and satisfaction is unbearable on their part. Today devotion is in Luke 2:21-39. This story, found in the book of Luke only, shows us how two people can bear the pain and disappointment in life. They are wonderful examples for all to find strength, courage, and hope in bearing the pain and disappointment in life. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Simeon Meet Simeon. Living in Jerusalem, Simeon was known for living a righteous and devout life. In other words, Simeon did it right and feared God. When other people might be opportunistic, he would weigh everything against the commandment of God. He has not only a noble cause, but an eternal value in handling matters. I consider his behavior remarkable because his hope of the consolation of Israel had not been realized for a long time. A deferred hope makes a heart sick. But not Simeon, he carried on his days faithfully walking with God. Anna If you think Simeon is outstanding, meet Anna. She was a widow. Although the death of her husband of seven years was not by choice, she likely chose to remain a widow for the rest of her life. Women married in their teenage year back then; Anna had opportunities to be remarried again. She denied them because God had called her to be a prophetess. There was not a lot of honor or glory to be a prophetess. She did not get to make speeches daily, rather her day was filled with fastings and prayers. Eating is a basic human right. She denied herself opportunities and rights because she found God to be dearer than anything in life. Coming to know Jesus God never forgot His people. He always found the right moment to reveal Himself to them. Here we found that Jesus entered into the life of Simeon and Anna. They did not just stumble upon and discover Jesus. Rather, God moved them in the Holy Spirit to find Jesus and blessed their life. But the revelation of Jesus did not change their earthly conditions. Anna and Simeon did not have victory in life or honored for their sacrifice. Nothing changed. They only had a lot of joy and peace. Today most men and women who found Jesus likewise did not have their conditions changed. But they have joy and peace just like Anna and Simeon did from coming to know Jesus. This joy and peace rest not on the material world. They are transcendent over the surrounding, over pleasure, and over life. Jesus changed the world we know through not a revolution but a change of hearts. When the men and women in Christ can deny their earthly desire, hold the values of God dearly in their heart, and practice righteousness and devotion, the world changes. The ability to do that comes from knowing Jesus. Memory Verse: ESV Luke 2:29 "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation Meditation: Have I rested in my comfort and come to expect everything as a right? Do I get peace and joy going that route? May the light of Jesus shine in us and reveal the truth. May I love Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, give me the desire and the peace and joy of following Jesus. I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen. 11/7/2008 Friday Luke 2:40-52A Model of Growing Up Introduction: Are you a teenager at heart? You know by two characteristics. Teenagers like to challenge the authority and form their own opinion about how to run the world (around them). For the real teenagers, often the authority figure is the parents. Unfortunately, Teenagers often do not strike a good balance between growing up and properly challenging the authority. The short story of today is the only piece of information of the emerging teenage Jesus in the Bible. It offers a great framework for all teenagers to model after in handling conflicts with their parents or other authority. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Parents God does not make mistakes. When Mary was just a teenage girl herself, we had glimpses of her love of God. As the story unfolded, we marvel at the acumen of God. Joseph and Mary was a pair of godly parents for God’s only begotten Son. They followed the letters and the spirit of the commandment of God. They circumcised Jesus on the eighth day and offered burnt offering and sin offering on the fortieth day. They took Jesus to Jerusalem for Passover annually. The Passover and the subsequent Feast of Unleavened Bread were an eight days affair. The commitment of Joseph and Mary to bring Jesus despite the difficulties taught him early on about loving God. They were the godly parents God prepared for His Son. The Mishaps Unfortunately, godly parents do not mean perfect parents. In fact, there are no perfect parents on earth. Here we found that Joseph and Mary lost track of Jesus. How did that happen? Well, at twelve years old, Jesus could still travel with His mother or stay with His father. Since different gender had to leave Jerusalem in separate routes, they thought Jesus was with the other spouse. Joseph and Mary were human, and they made mistakes just like any parents would. They lost Jesus. Today parents have a lot of tasks to juggle on a daily basis. Any given day can be as hectic as the travel day of Joseph and Mary. Parents can forget things or make mistakes as well. To the kids, this may be unimaginable. To the teenagers, they may realize that the parents are not that smart after all. The truth is that no parent is perfect. The Confrontation Yet no parents would forget their children. They may lose them but not forget them. Hence, Joseph and Mary retraced their steps and looked for Jesus. They went all the way back to the temple and found him there answering and asking questions. People were astonished at the understanding of Jesus. He was able to converse with the “professors” of the highest “seminary” of Israel. He even amazed them with his answers. Jesus was truly phenomenal to everyone there with the exception of His parents. It is important for the teenagers to know that the parents often see their offspring as children no matter how old they become. Even when the sons or daughters just have quite an accomplishment, parents still feel like they need to protect them. Joseph and Mary were first relief to find Jesus. The word astonished in v. 48 is ekplesso in Greek. It means they struck out of their senses. It is not anger but amazement. Then Mary confronted Jesus with Him being lost. How should teenagers handle confrontation with parents? Three things that Jesus did are great frameworks for teenagers to learn. First of all, Jesus asked two questions but did not demand any answers. In other words, He stated His concern and positions without challenging the authority of the parents. It is easy to have a fight with parents. It is much harder to come up with thought provoking questions. Secondly, Jesus reminded His parents that His actions were consistent with the teaching of their ways and the teaching of God. After all, Joseph and Mary brought Him to the temple annually. His staying in the temple when he became lost was a natural response. Also Jesus was minding over the business of the Heavenly Father. Teenagers need to follow the teaching of their parents and God. When there is a confrontation, they can always fall back on those two premises and find solid ground in their actions. Finally, Jesus took concrete action of obedience. Jesus did not dwell on any point but followed His parents and went home. Action speaks louder than words. God desires children to obey their parents. A proper action can smooth the anger of anyone, especially the parents. So when do teenagers become independent? When men make God the true parent, then the relationship between father and son, mother and daughter change. God is the perfect parent who is holy and never makes any mistakes. When men who have come to age submit to God and truly come to obey His will as children to the parent, they found independence. These three things are valuable lessons for all of us, especially the teenagers. May God bless you in using this framework in working out your maturity at home with your parents. Memory Verse: ESV Luke 2:49 And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. Meditation: Have I been resentful or feeling ashamed of my parents? Parents certainly make mistakes or forget things. Have I been overreacting to them? More importantly, have I given thanks to God for my parents? Have I been mature in my handling of my confrontation with my parents? Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the model that I see in Jesus. Thank you for my parents, be that they are not perfect. Thank you for using them to help me become mature. Finally, thank you for being my perfect, loving father. I ask to grow up in spirit, wisdom, and stature and to find favor with you and men. I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen 11/8/2008 Saturday Luke 3:1-20A Fleeting Life Introduction: The cockatiel at my home died today. The bird was like part of the family. The bird chirped, whistled, and talked to us. My wife wailed when she saw him dead. My daughter was distraught. My son and I were at a loss of words. It is a very sad atmosphere at home because we all love that bird. Life is fleeting. We cannot tell for certain that tomorrow will come, and if tomorrow comes, rather everything remains the same. Today when we read Luke 3:1-20, we need to read it with the perspective of a fleeting life in mind to understand the urgent call of John the Baptist. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Lone Voice John could have followed his father and had a good career. His father was a priest, and it was a good job to have. People looked up to the priests. The income was good and steady. And there was no stress. But John saw the need of the people. He recognized that people needed the Lord. The good economy and the stable life resulted in complacency toward God. The continuous religious activities were lifeless and apathetic. Men and women of God, are you apathetic toward God? Is your love toward Jesus growing cold? We can answer these questions honestly by gauging how we use our time. Is the devotional time last and meager compared with time spent with career building and with friends? Is our prayer time longer than our time spent on TV? Ask ourselves questions to determine our love of God because life is fleeting. John loved God and decided to be a radical for God. He went outside of the establishment to be visible, and he paid a price for it. He was willing to be the lone voice. He was willing to give it all he got because he loved God and the people. Life is fleeting. Are we willing to do what John did for the people? Give it all we got, so we can matter in their life for God’s sake. The Response When we become a radical, people have to take notice. Berkeley campus is full of radical. Although most of them are radical of trivial matters, people still take notice. Imagine we do that for Jesus. People will see that and take notice of the Lord. Their life would change for the better. The multitude flocked to John because he was a radical. His message of repentance took hold of the people. Drove of people baptized because of his message. What is our message? I think of many homosexuals and young people who do not know God. Friends are all they got. They have not come to know Jesus as their friends. But I know Jesus as my best friend. For that matter, Jesus is the best friend for any and for all people. I ought to tell them that. Standing Firm Life is fleeting. We can go with the trend and find ourselves hopeless at the end of our life. Or we can rely on our dearest and trusted friend—Jesus—and find hope, joy, and peace with our life always. If we trust Him, we can stand firm in our ground despite prosecution. John stood firm. He spoke the truth about the wonton marriage of the king. All King Herod did was to marry his brother’s wife, but King Herod locked him up for that. Yet prosecution did not sway John, and he did not change his stance. This marriage ideal would have been such a trivial matter and not worth discussion today, or is it? If two people love each other, what right do we have against them? Apparently, truth matters. Love without bounds is lust. Read 1Cor 13 to understand the essence of love. Read Matthew 19 for God’s ideal of marriage. Life is fleeting. If we live for ourselves, we will find only ourselves at the end of our lives. If we live for other human beings, we will find them together dying with us. If we live for God, we will find eternity at the end of this life and our friends at the heaven. When we lose our life for God, we find lives eternally. Memory Verse: ESV Luke 3:8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Meditation: In this fleeting life, think of ways that we build our life in eternity. If you do not have eternity, please see the page of “How to Know God.” If you know Jesus, consider loving Him radically. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Give me hope of glory in this fleeting life. Give me perspective to transcend my circumstances and myself and give beyond who I am. I ask all that in Jesus’ name, Amen.
11/9/08 Sunday Luke 3:21-38Baptized into a Spiritual Family Genealogy is a fascinating subject if you are part of it. Imagine if you are a part of the family of Abraham Lincoln, you would probably have read his genealogy many times and try to see who is who in the genealogy. When we are baptized into Jesus, we are born into the spiritual family of Jesus. The genealogy in today scripture can be fascinating because we are now part of the family. So read up and see how many names you recognize. The Baptism of Jesus In another gospel, we realize that John the Baptist originally desired to be baptized by Jesus. It was Jesus’ insistence to be baptized by John to fulfill the righteousness. When Jesus got baptized, the Heavenly Father commended Jesus as the beloved Son of God. The Genealogy Names are difficult to remember but not when they mean something to us personally. Go down the list in the passage and try to recall the great things that the great men of God had done. Meditation: We are born in the spiritual family of Jesus. In your spiritual genealogy, do you have offspring? Pray for the people in your life that you can tell them about Jesus and share with them your salvation story. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, may the power of my resurrected life in Jesus be alive in me and propel me to go great things for you. I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen. Memory Verse: ESV Luke 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
11/10/08 Monday Luke 4:1-19The Recognition of Our Spiritual Need Humans are driven by three powerful recognitions. The first recognition is the need. Needs are physiologically based. They represent the essentials of life. For example, without the nourishment of food and water, people die. This physiological need is the first level of the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pyramid. Although the pyramid calls everything a need for consistency, they are quite not really needs because people do not die when the other levels of needs are missing. In today scripture, we will see how Jesus addresses these three powerful recognitions. The Needs Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and fasted for forty days. (This fact is another topic worth discussing at another time.) Of course, His body needed food afterward. Satan came and appealed to Jesus to deal with this urgent physiological need through a minor miracle. In so doing, Jesus met His needs and also proved Himself as the Son of God. Physiological need is powerful appeal. Rooted in our education, our upbringing, and our experience is our recognition that life is precious and that physiological needs must be addressed. When a life is in harm way or in need, we must address it immediately with urgency. Yet Jesus just finished fasting. Fasting is conceptually contrary to meeting needs of life. In fact, fasting is a denial of this need. In fasting, we proclaim to God and men that there is something more important than our physiological needs. Our church just finished a forty-day fast for our church revival, the election, the proposition 8, and the economic crisis. Perhaps everyone recognizes that the election event is epic and deserves the denial of food for a period of time. And I am sure that a lot of presidential helpers went hungry a meal here or there, just to get something done for his/her favorite candidate. Some may recognize that the economic crisis is a major once in a lifetime event that threatens the very source that supplies our physical needs. Hence, if denying the need of food for a period of time can solve the problem, why not do it? But Jesus’ response focuses on a different realm. He told Satan then, and now He tells us that there is a different realm. He said in Matthew 4:4, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" In other words, man’s need goes beyond the physical, visible range. In our innermost being is the spiritual need that thirsts and hungers for the spiritual nourishment that only the word of God can satisfy. We know it is true. Human history has shown the strong desire to seek God. From cavemen drawing to modern writing the awe of God is evident. This recognition of God is also prevalent in all society throughout history. Yet it is unique because it is found in human only. Animals are not known to worship God. They do not gather to perform sacrifice. Any stories of animal worship God are found mostly related to imitation of their owners or to trained behaviors. We, the humans, have spiritual needs because God has put it there. The scripture says that God puts eternity into men’s heart so man can look for God (Ecc. 3:11). We are created with this God shape vacuum that only God can fill. Men will try to fill it with other metaphysical things in life. A spouse, kids, works, substances, entertainments somewhat bring satisfaction to us. However, they are not long-lasting and often create a codependence or become an addictive behavior in the absence of not having the spiritual nourishment of the word of God. The scary thing is when men choose to abandon God. The poison milk scare in China is of course a product of man’s greed. Yet communism should applaud its success in ingraining the supremacy of materialism over God. Without fear of God, men are left to devise their own scheme in achieving their own gain. Even the threat of potential prosecution can hardly stop this atrocious deed of greed. These problems of greed seem to be wide-spread in the god-less country of China because there were food scare in luncheon meat, animal feed, soy source, and a number of other issues before that. Now there is the shoe allergic claim surfacing. In the absence of God, it is scary to think how far men can go for profits. Some may point to Europe and America for the success of law and order in taming this irregularity of human greed. In fact, some raises the banner of the advances that Europeans made in abandoning God and spurs America to follow suit. (This is a mantra of Bill Maher.) Just look at what the success brings to the developed world. Depression, anxiety, and disorder become the norm of the 21st century. Never before have there been that many people with mental illnesses. Prediction puts depression the number one disease at 15% in Europe in 2020.[1] Everywhere we turn, we know someone and someone who know of someone with depression problem. If this is success or advances, we ought to stay away from it. God has put eternity into man’s heart. There is no rest until we find the satisfaction from the feeding of the word of God. Jesus powerfully refutes the appeal that physical needs are supreme. Nothing takes priority over the spiritual needs. He now appeals to you and me to seek after the word of God and drinks from Him. I will share the other two recognitions in the coming sermon this week at the Mandarin group. Meditation: A lot of needs are perceived rather than actual. Stop and think for a moment, what needs of yours can be put off and what must be accomplished. Schooling, exercising, friendship, or accomplishment can appear to be a “need”, but ask if they meet your spiritual needs. Without the word of God, we chase after things without an eternal objectivity. They bring on unnecessary pain and emotional duress. Stop and get feeding from the word of God. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, may your word powerfully fulfill my spiritual hunger and guide my path. I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen. Memory Verse: ESV Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'"
[1] http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/84755.php 11/11/08 Tuesday Luke 4:14-30Getting to Know Jesus Have we formed opinion about somebody from bits and pieces we heard? Today scripture takes us to a scene where Jesus returned to His hometown. The hometown folks had an opinion on Jesus. We will see what reception they gave to Jesus who had made it big outside of his hometown. The Success (vv. 14-15) Jesus ministry officially began after the forty days of fasting. The first miracle he did was changing the water into wine in Cana of Galilee. Almost a year had lapsed from the first miracle to verse 14 of chapter 4. Many miracles had been performed in Galilee and even in Judea. Even in Jerusalem, Jesus turned people head in cleansing the temple and made converts from small to great, like Nicodemus. Jesus had quite a few followers. The Return (vv.16) Jesus returned to Galilee upon the arrest of John the Baptist. It was necessary to move the ministry away from Judea, because the environment was hostile. Yet even this fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that the future Messiah would be preaching in Galilee instead of the power center of Jerusalem (Matthew 4:14; Isaiah 9:1-2). This return to Galilee eventually led Jesus back to his hometown in Nazareth. The Confrontation On Saturday, Jesus showed up at the synagogue. As customary, a guest was given a chance to speak. Without hesitation, Jesus read aloud the prophecy concerning the Messiah in Isaiah 11; implying that He is the Messiah, Jesus proclaimed that the prophecy would be fulfilled. This turned heads, and opinions formed. The judgment was that Jesus was merely the son of Joseph. Of course, people knew that no good thing could come out of Nazareth (John 1:46). For the people of Nazareth, they knew for certain that no good thing could come out of the Joseph’s household, where there was baby born out of wedlock. Moreover, no son of carpenter had made it big in the history of Israel up to that point. Jesus knew man’s heart and convicted them on their judgment. He pointedly reminded them of similar issues in the great prophets of Elijah and Elisha. At that, the godly people threw Jesus out of the city, took him to a cliff, and were ready to throw him off it. Meditation: We can lock into a preconceived notion of who Jesus is before we get to know Him. We only know Him from what people tell us, but there is no personal experience. Just like people can form opinion about Nazareth and the people of Nazareth can form opinions about Jesus, today the world forms opinion about the church and the church people forms opinion about Jesus. All the while, none reads the Bible daily and none knows Jesus personally. Ask yourself these questions: Am I doing that myself? Have I read the word of God on a daily basis and to know Jesus personally? Have I conversed with Him? If not, why not? Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I know it is tough to be misunderstood. Please forgive me because I do not take the time to get to know you and misunderstand you at times. Memory Verse: ESV Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
11/12/08 Wednesday Luke 4:31-44Submitting to the Authority of Jesus If Jesus is the Son of God, He should have authority over things that man cannot do. In other words, Jesus should be able to do miracles. So far, in the book of Luke, we have yet to see any miracle from Jesus. Today scripture begins that authority manifestation. In succession, we see that Jesus has authority over demons and illnesses. With Authority (vv.31-32) Jesus has authority over things that men cannot control. When He faced demons and illnesses, He did not need to diagnose, to negotiate, or to make plan. He simply rebuked them, and they had to obey. Yet Jesus’ authority does not extend to the will of men. Men are free to do whatever they desire. Men are free to choose Jesus or to reject Him. To change the heart and mind of people, Jesus preached the word of God. The word of God spoken by Jesus has authority. People of His day recognized it. Furthermore, Jesus complimented His spoken word with demonstration of His authority over demons and illnesses. Over Demons (vv.34-37) The authority over the domain of darkness is rooted in Jesus. A lot of people have a mistaken notion that if they come to church, they will catch some holiness, i.e. peace, joy, and cleansing. Notice that the demon possessed man was in the synagogue, but was still possessed. Being in the synagogue did not do him any good. Likewise, just because you are in a church, you do not become holy, demons would stay away from you, or life problems would go away. Holiness does not come by being in the presence of materials. Rather, the authority over darkness comes through the person of Jesus and through the cleansing of His word. When Jesus rebuked the demon, it was subjected to His authority. We need to subject ourselves to Jesus and His word. When we do, we will be connected to Him, and His authority will extend into life. We will find His peace and joy in us. Over Illnesses (vv.38-41) Jesus has authority over illnesses. Perhaps high fever is no longer a problem of today. We think Tylenol and Advil should be able to tame them easily. Simon Peter did not have Tylenol. And unlike some son-in-law, he liked his mother-in-law. When his mother-in-law was sick, he asked that Jesus would heal her. Jesus rebuked the fever, and the illnesses obeyed His authority. Today, we have a lot of means and remedies at our disposals. Because of that, we tend to make God last in our options. That goes to not just illnesses but also all facets of our life. We do not petition God in our decision making process; we seem to be capable of doing most of everything. We do not allow God to exercise authority in our life. Only when we are desperate, then we bring Him in for an emergency consultation or miracles. This mentality is no different from the folks who brought demons possessed people and sick people to Jesus. They came for the authority to heal their physical body, but shy away from that authority to command their life. Yet if you will subject yourselves to Jesus and His authority, you will find that your brokenness in spirit and in life will be mended. Over Self-Adoration (vv.42-44) What do people do with an adoring crowd? Most would love it and let the adoration comes. Jesus has authority over demons and illnesses and also over the impulse of loving the adoration. Jesus recognized that He was sent here to preach the good news of the kingdom of God and not to be adored. He rejected the plea of the crowd to stay. He kept on preaching the good news. Meditation: Today, the spoken word of Jesus still has power. We ought to use it to reach the world. Along with the word of God, we can ask God to give us power to make known the kingdom of God. God will appropriately give us power to overcome issues of demon possession, illnesses, or human psychological conditions. One key point is that we ought to keep ourselves holy through reading His word and being connected to Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I will submit to the authority of Jesus. I ask that I will deny the desire of the flesh. Help me overcome my brokenness and be useful for preaching the good news of your kingdom. In the precious name of Jesus I ask, Amen. |