From the above phrases, I see how Jesus welcomed interruption, opening himself up to the crowds and the wealth of needs they had even as He wanted to probably minister to his apostles and have a time of rest. Love manifests itself in putting your needs after the emerging, unpredictable needs of others in your life. It means to be open to the burdens, issues, and hardship that come when you involve yourself in the lives of those around you. As Jesus charges the apostles to feed the teeming crowds, hungry and tired from following Jesus to this place of withdrawal, He is trying to teach them ownership and responsibility. The disciples were likely expecting Jesus to send them away, and felt justified in doing so. After all, the crowd had already interrupted their already busy schedule, and the apostles wanted a respite after having gone into so many towns to preach and heal. But, along with welcoming yourself to interruption comes the willingness to become responsible. I can learn that love is a willingness to consider yourself the primary person that will take ownership over another. It is not to just look to someone else to resolve an issue or situation, or to step back for fear of more inconvenience and burden, but to stay faithful, and find a way to meet the need. As a person who naturally fears the burdens and messiness of trying to love another person, as it can become as unpredictable as the situation we see here in the text, I am challenged to again commit to a life of ownership over the people in my life–from the students I am reaching out to, the interns I am trying to love and train through their first year on ministry, to my fellow staff who are my co-laborers in Christ, to the people in our church who are currently suffering from tragedies, to my own family.

What encourages me to commit to a life of interruption and ownership as I see here is the latter half of this event. After the disciples offer their meager morsels of food, they see Jesus give thanks, multiply their small offering, and the crowds are miraculously fed. What I can learn about love here is that in the context of ministry and doing God’s work, it is not a limited resource. I think that is what can explain much of my fear or reluctance to love another person. I believe I will run out of emotional energy, or my precious time, or just not have enough wisdom to really give that person “something to eat.” But as I see here, in trying to love this intimidating mass of people, the apostles end up seeing God using what they have to truly meet the need of each person in the crowd. In the same way, Jesus is charging me to give the people in my life those things to eat, but I do not do so by my own resources. There is the other half to look at–that He can multiply it, use it to plant seeds in other’s lives, and that in reality, it is God who ends up providing, not myself. I imagine the surprised delight as the apostles wandered about the crowd, fetching basketful after basketful of bread. At the start, they wanted to push away that responsibility of love, and now, they saw how God could more than meet the crowd’s need. As I think of again the number of people that fill my life, each having their burdens, issues, and the ways in which I can specifically encourage and love them, I commit my own five loaves and two fish to truly taking ownership over them, to open up my schedule, my heart to their interruption. Though at times I feel like the apostles, lacking the wherewithal to really love others, reluctant to try, in committing, I will only see God use in miraculous ways whatever I have to offer to bless others in my life.

What are my five loaves and two fish?
For the apostles, their 5 loaves and 2 fish represented what they already had with them. It was whatever they had happened to carry over to Bethsaida as Jesus brought them to withdraw from the crowds. For me, as I think about what I already do have, the five loaves and two fish I can offer up on a daily basis are my time, my emotional and mental energy, my hands and feet to do the work of ministry, as well as my financial resources. When I take a look at who I am and my limited competencies, I feel like the apostles that I can only give a meager offering. However, God is asking for what I already have, and I can offer them up in full trust that He can and will expand what I have to somehow bless others. Concretely, I can offer up my schedule to the constantly emerging needs that surround me from preparing and planning for my Life Group meetings, spending time talking to and encouraging those who are going through difficult times, to making relational connections to students. I can offer up the emotional, mental, and physical resources I have to thinking through on ministry issues, to planning for memorable and meaningful times for my interns, students, to evaluating the ministry we are doing, to praying intensely and intently for the wealth of needs that surround our church, to even faithfully setting up, taking down, cooking, giving rides, and carrying out small details that go into serving others.

Luke 9:18-27
“But what about you?” is the same question that Jesus asks of me today. Who is Jesus to me?
Jesus to me is my Savior, much in the same way that Peter confesses here. He has saved me from my sins, away from that old life dominated by addictions, apathy, purposeless to a life where He is now LORD over each area of my life. He saved me from a life of following my desires, wants, and ambitions to a life of following His calling to love others in the same way He does here.

What are the implications of my answer?
The implications of my answer, that Jesus is my Savior, means that concretely my life is no longer mine. As He charges me to love others, so I have to offer up my five loaves and two fish. That means that my time, money, energy, resources are all to be of use to Him so He can continue to reach other people who need to know and experience the love of the Gospel. There is no “I” in terms of how I want to spend my time, as urgent or important my personal agenda can sometime seem. There is no “I” in terms of what I choose to buy or how I spend. Instead, all of my considerations now fall in the context of Jesus’ calling to love others. As I determined before how I wanted to spend my resources, so now that is dictated by the people and needs that abound around me.

Another implication with Jesus as my Savior is that I no longer need to look to other things to save me. The world bombards me with notions, ideas, and images that it is a more carefree life that will save me. Or, with my season of life, it is making something of yourself, gaining the esteem and approval of others through social status, through being noticed and applauded, that will save me. Such things do have their pull and temptation on me. But, with Jesus as my Savior, I no longer have to give into this pull. I don’t have to listen to such voices or take heed of such images. Instead, I can trust that my life is best spent following Jesus. It means that the life Jesus has saved me to is what is meant for me, best for me. Even as the world tells me that I need to save myself–save my time, be less devoted, be less committed, make more of your life, spare the money I have, and always hoard for myself–I know that I have committed my life to Jesus. As seen earlier in this passage, only by fully committing and offering what I have to Jesus can I live out that confession of faith that Peter has made, and that I have to make each day.
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Submitted by Eugene P. from Gracepoint Berkeley Church
Luke 9:18-27
“But what about you?” is the same question that Jesus asks of me today. Who is Jesus to me?
Jesus is always interested in each person’s answer to this question, regardless of what others may have to say about Him. Peter’s response also reveals a different side of him that we do not see in the rest of the Gospel; that is, in contrast with the usual impatient, action-oriented Peter, Peter’s response reveals much thoughtfulness. He must have paused from time to time and pondered upon this question frequently before reaching his conclusion that was so different from the rest of the crowd. Indeed, this is one question in life that truly deserves our time and energy to ponder upon.

Many years ago, I have struggled with my preconceived biases and wrestled with popular notions of Jesus’ identity to finally come to the same conclusion that Peter had: “You are the Christ of God! You are my Lord and Savior!” Since then, I have also realized that this is one question that I need to answer on a daily basis, or more accurately, a confession that I need to hold onto on a daily basis despite how the world wants to portray Jesus and my own sins/desires may seek to pull me from Him. So, today, my answer remains: “You are the Christ of God! You are my Lord and Savior!”

What is the implication of my answer?
When I claim that Jesus is the Christ of God and Savior, I affirm that He has come down to our world to save me from my sins. I acknowledge that I can’t do anything about my sin and I need to come to Him on a daily basis and seek forgiveness. Not only so, when I claim that Jesus is the Christ of God, I recognize that He is the One long foretold by God and sent by God. He alone knows how I ought to live my life for He is my Master and Lord. Therefore, I need to submit to His authority. On a daily basis, I find that my sinful self wants to reassert itself and I want to have control over my own life and pursue my desires. If I truly believe in my own confession of Jesus’ identity, I need to wrestle with my sins and desires to my confession a reality in my life.

Luke 9:22-25
Why did Jesus begin talking about the cross upon Peter’s confession?
Jesus talks about the cross to show that what it looks like to follow Him. It makes sense to talk about it only after Peter has reached the conclusion that Jesus is the Christ. Now that Peter acknowledges that Jesus is his Christ and Lord, he is finally ready to hear what it is like to be a disciple of Christ.

Jesus clearly commands those who made the same confession as Peter to follow him to the cross. How can Jesus be so confident to invite us to die with him?
The exchange between Jesus and Peter is about Jesus as much as it is about Peter. That is, Jesus does not deny Peter’s confession in any way. In fact, Jesus simply accepts Peter’s confession as a matter of fact and He knows that He is the Christ of God. He is our Maker, and He is the way, the truth and the life. As He tells us to take up our cross and die with Him, He in fact wants us to experience this paradoxical truth in life, that is, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (vv.24-25)

In our sinful nature, we think that the only way to preserve life is to preserve as much of our self as possible. As was the case with the demon-possessed man in our recent Mark 1 bible study, we want to respond to Jesus’ seemingly threatening invitation by crying, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:23-34) O we know who Jesus is – the Holy One of God, but we are not so sure about His way of life. We fear that He wants to destroy the life that we are familiar and comfortable with. I had found it scary to trust Jesus and denying myself simply because it was contrary to my upbringing. Yet, experientially, I have come to accept that when Jesus asks me to die with Him, He is not only destroying the life that I am familiar and comfortable with; He is really inviting me to truly live. I would not have the kind of abundant, blessed life that I have, if I did not trust in His teaching – the relationships that I have had, the experience of following Jesus in Berkeley and in mission fields and greater appreciation of God’s sovereignty through all the ups and downs. I think the second part is even more important – that is, to die to ourselves is to save our very self. Before I became a Christian, to be true to myself meant to follow my desires and to gain all that I wanted in this world. I remembered vividly how empty I felt in my pursuits. In contrast, the sense of identity and security that I have now – that is, despite what the world tells me, I know that I am a child of God and a follower of Christ – is something that I have gained as a result of denying myself.

Going back to the question why Jesus can so confidently invite us to die with Him, I think Jesus knows how He wants to bless us and He knows that is the only way to live. The process requires dying to our selves, but the end result is greater abundance and true life. Our God is loving and good. He is confident because He knows that is the only way to live that kind of blessed life.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Luke 7:18
Compare John the Baptist’s expectation of what Christ would do (Luke 3:7-9) with what Jesus ends up doing (Luke 7:21-22).
• What might have caused John to question whether Jesus was the ‘one to come’?
John the Baptist had been preaching quite passionately about the need to repent and beware of judgment and the impending wrath of God. This was the message he was preaching to prepare people for Jesus’ coming. Jesus’ ministry thus far has been one of merciful compassion demonstrated through healing and a message of good news to the poor and downtrodden. These seem to be two very different pictures, and this might have caused John to question whether Jesus was indeed the “one to come” he had been prophesying.

• What can I learn from John’s approach to dealing with such doubts?
The way John deals with his doubts is by sending two of his disciples to ask Jesus directly whether or not he was “the one to come,” or if they should “expect someone else.” One thing I learn from this is that I should ask questions. Not only that, but I should ask the right person. John goes directly to Jesus, rather than talking about it with other people and thinking of their own explanations and coming to their own conclusions.

John demonstrates humility in asking this question of Jesus. This could be seen as a dumb question and if John were someone interested in his own image and reputation, he might have just kept silent. I recognize that kind of pride within me. Sometimes I sit on my own questions for fear of how it would make me look before others. John did not push aside his questions and doubts but was active about finding answers. True understanding requires humility and effort – it is not something that will just happen on its own.

Luke 7:28
“…yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
• Consider the implication of this statement—that every Christian in this generation is greater than John the Baptist because we now “have clearer knowledge of the purpose of Jesus’ death and resurrection.”[1] What have I done with such privileged information entrusted to me?
That even the “least in the kingdom of God is greater” than John carries huge implications. This means I have no excuses as to why I am not living with as much, if not more, passion and zeal for God’s name as John the Baptist.

John the Baptist did not have a full picture of all Jesus would do, or even of who Jesus was. Yet he lived a life of such passion, and through his ministry, he reached so many people with the message of repentance and the news of Jesus’ coming. Given the impact of his ministry as but one man, I am challenged by the impact that Christians who are fully and radically committed to God can have on this world. We have the benefit of hindsight that John the Baptist did not have; we have personal knowledge and experience of God and what he did to demonstrate His love for all mankind.

What a privileged position I am in, simply by being a Christian. Apart from how many years I have been a Christian, how long I have served in a certain capacity in a particular ministry, the fact that I have saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and a personal relationship with Him as my Lord means I am greater than John the Baptist. This ought to infuse my life with meaning, at the level of every interaction with people I encounter every day. It means that any hint of a “little ol’ me” mentality is a lie from Satan that I need to push out so that I can share the knowledge of God that I have. This is the most precious thing, it is the gospel, and it is something I can share.

Luke 7:29-30
This passage notes the different response of the two parties to Jesus words. On the one hand are “all the people, even the tax collectors,” and on the other are the “Pharisees and experts in the law.” We are told that their response to Jesus flowed directly from their response to John.

•Reflect on the impact of the initial pride of the latter group toward John, and what it has now led to, and the impact of the humility of the former group to John.
The Pharisees and experts in the law had refused to be baptized by John the Baptist because of their pride. The implication of being baptized was that the religiosity they had so painstakingly built their lives upon was “not enough” before God. Their initial pride regarding John the Baptist and his message hardened such that they could not now accept Jesus’ words regarding God’s purpose for them. Meanwhile, the others who had been baptized by John, whose hearts were broken through the baptism of repentance, were able to acknowledge that God’s way was right. In this way John the Baptist does prepare the way for people to accept Jesus.

•How does this apply to my approach to God’s message and messengers?
Seeing how pride hardens and grows, while humility also grows, is very applicable to how I ought to approach God’s message and his messengers. I should not be naïve to think that I can pick and choose which of God’s messages and messengers I heed. When I harden myself by refusing to go deeper and be broken by a particularly piercing DT reflection question or message, I cannot think that goes without effect in my life. The next time God’s truth comes to me, it will be that much harder for it to penetrate through the layer of pride, no matter how thinly I think I have coated it over my heart.

In the end, the Pharisees and experts in the law were the ones who missed out. Yes, because of their pride, they were able to cling onto whatever image they had built up for themselves, but that’s it. Their pride forces them into a corner and they are stuck. Even if they were to try and respond to something Jesus said later on, they wouldn’t be able to because of how it would mean everything up until then would also have to change. To prevent this kind of spiritual ossification in my own life, I need to have a realistic understanding of my own heart, and commit to receiving truth humbly whether it comes from the pulpit on Sunday, from my spiritual leader, my peer, or a challenge from someone younger. That is how I will ever experience growth or change.

Luke 7:31-32
One commentator notes that Jesus compares these obstinate religious leaders to children at play: “They are the children who are seated and refuse to play, complaining that John and Jesus do not dance to their tune. Whether they play a light tune on the flute or a funeral dirge, these two men do not follow the Jewish leadership’s desires.”[2]

•What is my attitude when it becomes clear that God does not always “dance to my tune”?
To be honest, there have been times I have been like these kids sitting and pouting in the marketplace, because I have wished God would just do my bidding. I had a particular picture of how my life should be, how I would have done it, but I realized God isn’t a genie who blinks his eyes and zaps things into place just as I want. And this has resulted in some hard struggles, where God had to wrestle with my stubborn self-will, and I had to surrender before the reality of who God is and that He is not like me. He sees things I do not see, I should not presume to know what is best for me, and I should definitely not be so ridiculous as to pout about it.

But as I live life longer, and recognize the consistent twistedness of the desires that spring from my sinful heart, I am thankful I do not have a God who dances to my frankly cacophonous tune. To be sure it isn’t pretty every time my ego crashes up against the reality of God and His ways, but the fact that “God is not a man” (Numbers 23:19) and his “ways are not my ways “(Isaiah 55:8-9) is something I am increasingly thankful for.

• In what ways do I get upset when God does not go along with my plans and desires?
My desires and plans, if they were left up to me and my naturally selfish ways, would be to have an easy life where there are no struggles and problems ever. As a product of our culture, I want instant change both in my own life and in the lives of the people I’m ministering to. I have a short attention span and have trouble waiting, and easily want to throw in the towel and give up. But God’s way is different, and He is not satisfied to leave me to live such a poor life. As He wants to give me actual life, He desires to stretch my heart and my capacity, whether in the form of new challenges or through particular people He has called me to minister to and love. When He does so, I do get upset and have the initial immature response of “Why?! It’s too hard…” But time and again I have recognized after the fact His infinite wisdom in orchestrating circumstances as He did.

PERSONAL PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for filling my life with so many opportunities to hear Your words of truth. Not only am I able to come before your word to do DT, and receive a sermon or Bible study twice a week, you have given me many spiritual leaders who can speak into my life. You have given me peers and many younger brothers and sisters in the faith You continue to use to bring truth into my life. I ask that You would grant me a heart of humility that is soft and receptive to the truth, no matter how painful and even humiliating the implications might be. Lord, I am so thankful that You do not leave me to figure out how to live life on my own, but that You place no shortage of people to be Your messengers in my life.
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Submitted by Kenny C. from Gracepoint Berkeley Church
• Doubt, questions
I thought about what a refreshingly honest picture of John the Baptist is shown here. Here is a man who from the outside can seem intimidating, with all his locust-eating ways and raggedly camel clothes exterior. He was spiritually intense and exhibited all the fiery passion of someone who was so sure about what he believed in. I bet if there were a survey that was available back then where people had to choose one person that was that shining example of a believer par excellence, I’m sure John the Baptist would’ve won the voting in the landslide. But the aspect that struck me as I was reading this passage was the fact that he had this nagging question of who Jesus really was. Its seems odd to think that someone like John the Baptist had these doubts and questions, given the magnitude of who he was, but it seemed to have bothered him so much that he sends some of his disciples to go find out if Jesus was really the one to come or if they should be expecting someone else. After all, the answer to this question can change everything for him, and its clear that based on his actions, that he didn’t want to be wrong on this issue about the true identity of Jesus. It turns out that what John the Baptist does here is incredibly humble, because to him, getting the answer straight was more important than his reputation. John the Baptist was prepared to alter his prior understanding of Jesus and consequently change the direction of his life, and that takes a lot of humility to do. As someone who grew up in the church, I remember forgoing opportunities in the past where I should have done a lot more to get answers to my questions about God, instead of being a victim to my insecurity over what this could mean for my reputation or how I’m seen by others if I asked such an “obvious” question. It was my pride that blocked me from getting the answers, and the result was that it delayed my spiritual growth. When I admit that I don’t know what I don’t know, and just come to my spiritual leaders with all my doubts and questions, that I come away feeling strengthened and encouraged in ways that I could not have experienced on my own. Whether its doubts about God or doubts I have about how to live Christian life, I know the power of these doubts and how they can grow to become these massive barriers that prevent me from spiritual maturity, if I don’t bring them up right away The lesson for me here is that having doubts is not the issue, as even John the Baptist had doubt, but what I end up doing with my doubts and if I’m willing to do the hard work of laying aside my pride so that I can come to seek out the answer through God’s word and through God’s people.

• A prophet …
John was indeed a prophet and Jesus makes note of this later on in verse 24. I find it again interesting that Jesus praises John for being a great prophet, even though he had originally sent his disciples to him because of this nagging doubt. Jesus calls him more than a prophet and says, “among those born of women there is no one greater than John.” Jesus is setting up for the punch line because in spite of John being the greatest prophet, he says, “those who are least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” I thought about what Jesus meant by this. It’s because as great of a messenger and prophet as John was, he didn’t have the full picture of Jesus. His understanding of Jesus was that he would come in power, and that his sole purpose in coming was to carry out judgment on others, bringing with him wrath and punishment wherever he went. John thought it would be a frightening thing for all who did not repent, to be anywhere within a 10 mile radius of Jesus, since it meant imminent destruction. But the fact is, Jesus was not coming to condemn but to save and to rescue. He came to give life, as it says in v.22, and not to take away life. And ultimately John never lived long enough to see that what Christ came to do ultimately was to die on the cross for the sins of many. Even though John was this awesome prophet, the ones who are least in the kingdom of God are greater than him because we possess the full picture of who Jesus is, that he wasn’t here to bring wrath and judgment and to take away life, but to bring life by restoring those who are lost back to Him. Somehow, by God’s grace, I am included among those that are least in His kingdom, which by default is a very privileged position to be. That means that I too have to share in the same burden and calling as John the Baptist, to be a prophet in my generation and to share with others the good news of the gospel, except the difference being that I have a complete picture of Jesus, not one of doom and gloom but as one who came to give life abundantly. For me, this means that I need to accurately represent Christ in all that I say and do, and not just give this one-sided picture of God as simply being purely about wrath, but one that wants extend this same mercy and love to those who are not part of His kingdom yet.

•All the people vs. the Pharisees and experts in the law
The similarities between “all the people” in verse 29 and the Pharisees and the experts in the law are that ONE, they both heard the same messages from the same person, John the Baptist, and SECOND, they heard the same message from Jesus. But their responses are so different. The former group ends up being baptized by John, having their hearts softened and prepared so that when Jesus comes, they are able to acknowledge that God’s way was right. The latter group never budged, choosing to stay put while watching others get baptized by John, refusing to change from their stubborn ways, hardening their hearts and ending up rejecting God’s purpose for themselves. One lesson here is the power of a hardened heart and the consequences that it can lead to. For “all the people,” including people like the tax collector, they did not allow their heart to be hardened by all that God was doing in their lives. They listened intently to what John the Baptist had to say, and they were ready to surrender their lives completely once they heard from Jesus about the good news. The so called religious experts however, were too proud and too hardened to surrender their established practices, laws and titles and so they dismissed John first, and that made it easier to dismiss Jesus later on. I think about their first move, to just ignore John the Baptist and how that made all the difference in the world between these two groups of people. For me, I need to be always checking my heart against the Word of God to see if I’m being hardened by some sin, by some failure, by some setback or some struggle I’m having. If I’m having a proud and hardened heart, than I will end up rejecting God’s ways for my own way, which leads me away from life to a life of death. My heart fluctuates constantly, and I know the potential that I have for my heart to grow hardened whenever I reject God’s purpose so that I can do whatever I want according to my evil and selfish desires. It through daily hearing God’s words that reaffirms my commitment to Him and my desire to continue living life according to God’s way, which leads to true life.

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[1] Barton, et al, Life Application New Testament Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001)
[2] Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996)

Practice
Thinking about those who are in charge of planning a building–like Sierra Lodge for example–they had to lay the foundation when the weather and the soil conditions were at their best. It takes a lot of planning and foresight before one can begin building and it all starts with making sure the foundation can be laid in the right conditions. There are factors such as weather, even the exact placement of the building so that it does not run into rocks or is not too close to tree roots or water. There are many steps to ensuring the foundation is laid correctly, including digging a deep whole to prepare to lay the foundation. The man who builds his house and digs deep laying the foundation very carefully has more confidence that his building will withstand a torrent or calamity. This building that Jesus is referring to is like our life. Each person is building his/her foundation in some way or another. I thought about some of the inadequate foundations that people can build. People work on achieving a notable position in their career, earning a large income to accumulate wealth, and spending most of their time seeking comfort. However, there is nothing truly secure in building any of these foundations. Unexpected situations like job loss or health matters can come up and cause all the building that a person has been done to crumble. For me, I remember growing up I was always concerned about the future – would I get into the right college, what kind of career could I build for myself, who would I marry and what would the future hold. I was concerned about these things more than who God was, what was the purpose of my life, and how could I relate and trust in God. But after college, I began to start thinking about these questions because I realized that all of my planning and building could not ensure the kind of future that I wanted. I realized how inadequate and insufficient it would be.

As I get older, there is so much around me that tries to lure me in, but I must remain focused on what is important to invest my time and life into – the Word of God and putting his word into practice. It will take time and energy, building the right foundation is not an easy task. But, the consequence to not doing this is too great. It means destruction and renders all of my effort and energy meaningless. I realize I have many opportunities to “build,” yet I fail to take advantage of them. I hear a message and do not reflect on it. A situation comes up which reveals my heart or attitude towards someone, and I don’t take time to think about my underlying motives. I need to do more work towards taking advantage of allowing God’s Word’s with what I am experiencing impact my life. The building process for my life then is a deliberate process that is made up of small steps – spending time in God’s Word each day and seeking to apply it to my life (like DT), praying, reflecting on my life, being part of a church that is a community of brothers and sisters who share lives together and taking time to grow in my concerns for people around me – sharing God’s message of forgiveness and grace with others, noticing others needs and loving people God has placed in my life. Through practice, it becomes more of my life. I can see this as I look back at my college days where I was only concerned about myself. But now, as I have been a Christian for 10 years, I can see how my sphere of concern has grown, my confidence and understanding of God’s Words as true and how God desires for me to thrive through following him. Although I know that the storms will come to everyone, this is the best test of my foundation. This parable is both a warning, but can also encourage me that I don’t have to be swept by the storms, but with God’s help my foundation can withstand the ultimate storm of death. I see this confidence in a friend’s mom who held on to God and hope of heaven as she battled cancer. I see this confidence in Joni Erickson Tada who was left paraplegic in a diving accident and unable to move any body part below her neck. She used this experience to create an organization to care for those who are suffering from some type of debilitating disability. My dad volunteers at this camp every year and says he can see how the participants of the camp really thrive though they face this difficult disability every day. And as I minister to others, I see how trusting in what God says and doing the hard work to put it into practice is how we grow. I commit to doing this in my life.

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Submitted by Peter K. from Gracepoint Berkeley Church
Luke 6:46-49
•For whom does Jesus tell this parable?
Those who call Jesus as “Lord.” He is addressing self-confessing followers of Jesus.

•Reflect on the disparity between calling Jesus “Lord, Lord,” and not doing what he says.
When someone calls Jesus as Lord, this implies that he acknowledges Jesus as his master and owner of his life. Lordship of Christ means surrender of ownership of his life to Jesus; he no longer has claim over his life. “Not doing what he says” completely contradicts calling Jesus as “Lord.” By not doing, he claims his rights to do he wants to do. Jesus is no longer the “Lord” of his life.

•What are some ways in which Christians today take comfort in their spiritual jargon and rhetoric, or define their spirituality on things other than actual obedience to Jesus’ words?
There are many self-professing Christians today who just have the spiritual rhetoric but do live out the Christian life. There are many attend church on Sundays, even serve in some ways at their church, but ultimately compartmentalize their spiritual life and their faith has no impact upon the rest of their lives, such as how they choose to spend their time or resources. Apparently they may appear religious and do and say all the right things at church, but in their personal life they are not practicing the word of God. There are many elders, deacons and lay people in modern day churches who live a compromised life outside of church consistent with worldly values. Their values and priorities are no different from non-Christians.

•To what extent is there divergence between my words and my life when it comes to my identity as someone who calls Jesus “Lord”?
As I examine my life, there is divergence in my words and my life. In terms of understanding and confessing, I am very clear that Jesus is my Lord who owns all my time, energy, and resources. He has a full right to claim my life and demand all of these. However, in practice my self-centeredness prevent me from obeying the word of God. I still have a desire for a comfortable life. Whenever this sinful desire appears in my heart, joy of serving people and building God’s church disappears and grumbling sets in gradually in my mind. This hinders me from giving my all to the Lord. I also have a desire for pleasing my body that makes me selfish and not sacrificial. Here’s a small example. My commitment against my physical laziness is to clean the house for 15 min every night. After a long day of work, there is not much motivation to clean the house when I come home at night. There is a struggle in my mind. Either I deny my tired body and make a small sacrifice to clean the house or I give in to my tired body. I find myself giving in to my body many times. This mundane example shows how divergent I am between my words and my life. When I call Jesus “Lord,” for sure I should clean my house every single night because God’s command is to love my wife and kids with a sacrificial attitude. However, in practice I am so quick to please my tired body for my own comfort. This is very selfish and contradicts my commitment to Jesus as my Lord.

•What is the fundamental difference between the wise and the foolish builder?
The fundamental difference between the wise and the foolish builder is the foundation on which a house is built. The wise dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. I remember how much rocks and cement were poured in to make a solid foundation for the Sierra Lodge. The strong foundation is the key to withstand snowstorms and other challenges of nature. Jesus in this passage illustrates people’s spiritual foundation as building a house. He says that the wise are those who hear the word of God and put them into practice. He emphasizes the key difference between the wise and the foolish is to put into the practice. It is not only reading the Bible and listening to messages, but putting them into practice in our day to day lives. This way we can lay down deep spiritual foundation which can help us withstand storms and challenges in our lives. I am always personally challenged by Pastor Timothy’s testimonies. He listens to the messages and applies them to his life very concretely and specifically. Stories about moving up to Davis to start our first church plant and quitting his job at Intel to find a job on campus to become more available for students challenges me how concrete it should be applying messages to my life. Pastor Timothy’s faithful serving at Davis church for many years and now his serving at our recent church plant at Minnesota really teach me that putting the word of God into practice is the key to laying down a solid spiritual foundation and deepening our faith.

•How can I avoid being like the foolish builder?
The key characteristic of a foolish builder is that he listens to the word of God but does not put into practice. I can identify myself with the foolish builder because I listen to a lot of messages but don’t apply them to my life. The ways that I can avoid being the foolish builder is by reflecting over messages and making personal applications. Often after I listen the messages from Sunday worship services or prayer meetings, I don’t spend adequate time to review and reflect on them. If I allow a few days to pass by, I end up not even remembering the content. In terms of carrying out personal commitment, I should just do it and not allow myself to go through emotional dramas. A lot of times my resilient and selfish emotions are the big hindrances to obeying God’s word and carrying out commitments that I have made.

PERSONAL PRAYER
Heavenly father thank you so much for teaching me the importance of laying down a deep and solid foundation of spiritual life. Through today’s passage, I see that there is a big divergence between my words and my life. I repent of my selfish desire to please my body and my ego to comfort myself. I realize how selfish and wicked I am through today’s passage. I ask for your forgiveness. Thank you for teaching me the importance of laying down a solid and strong foundation by putting the word of God into practice. Please help me obey your word and carry out my commitments immediately without going through my emotional struggles. Amen!

Luke 6:27-36
• How did Jesus himself live out these teachings?
Jesus practiced what he preached. From his very act of coming down to earth, in the midst of messy humanity, he exercised love for his enemies and doing good to those who hated him. Throughout human history, man has been in rebellion against God, declaring our own autonomy and independence from God’s authority in our lives. Though we responded to God in this way, Jesus came and dwelt among us. As it says in Isaiah 53, he was despised and rejected by men. While Jesus was on earth, people criticized him, the religious leaders were constantly looking for ways to trap him. Yet Jesus walked among us and healed the sick, showed compassion to the outcasts, touched the lepers and spent time with us. He was kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Though people hated him to the point of plotting his execution though he did nothing wrong, he did not retaliate, but went all the way to the cross. With his last breath, he prayed for those who were killing him. He had the authority to speak these words because he lived them out to the end.

• What can I do to practice these verses in my life?
I have many opportunities to live out these verses in my daily interactions with people. When I feel slighted by my husband, or if I feel that he’s not as attentive to my needs as I would like, I have the option to either respond to this with kindness or unkindness. As I minister to people and when some are not appreciative of my efforts, I can choose to be upset about that or I can continue to serve even if my efforts go unnoticed. When I notice a little mess here and there, something that no one thought to wipe up, or trash that no one took out, or an area that was left messy after everyone left, I can choose to ignore it and hope that someone else will clean it up, or I can clean up though no one would know that I did. When someone I am trying to love misunderstands me and perhaps wrongly accuses me of some false ulterior motive that I didn’t have, I can choose to move towards them or subtly grow cold towards them. Even though these acts are nothing compared to the way that Jesus loved his true enemies, there are many opportunities daily to deny my natural inclination to “pay people back” and instead exercise love and mercy towards others.

Luke 6:36 ?“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
• How has God been merciful to me personally?
God has been merciful to me personally by not treating me as my sins deserved. As someone who grew up going to church, I always knew about God and didn’t doubt His existence. Yet I purposefully decided that I didn’t like His authority in my life and didn’t want any authority in my life. I decided that if God existed, I should give my allegiance to Him but I didn’t want to. This intentional rebellion should have incited his wrath, and if anyone treated any person this way, they would rightfully feel angry and hurt, and not want anything to do with me. Instead, God treated me with patience and mercy. He led me to our church where I learned the gospel message. After living my own way for a few years, I had made so many regretful decisions. At this point, I didn’t think I could ever be reconciled to a holy God. God did not meet me with words of “I told you so.” Instead, I heard a message on John 8 where Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” Those words personally struck me, and I couldn’t believe that those words were for me, that Jesus didn’t condemn me but instead would give me a new lease on life, a new slate where I could actually leave my life of sin. The way that God was merciful to me, His enemy, changed my life forever.

After that point, God has been merciful to me again and again, as in small and big ways, as a sinner, I continue to keep sinning. By default, I disobey and assert my autonomy over my own life. Each time, God meets me with mercy. He gives me opportunities to confess and repent, and the same words that changed me many years ago hit me afresh again and again; words of forgiveness, compassion and love.

•What sins or shortcomings in others do I find it particularly difficult to be merciful toward?
Ironically, I find it difficult to be merciful towards sins or shortcomings that I see in myself and that I see as resilient issues in myself. I find it difficult to be merciful towards others who continue to continue in the same patterns even though they “should know better,” even though I myself continue in the same old patterns even though I should know better. In this way, I see how twisted I am, in that I’ve been shown such mercy yet quickly turn around and fail to show the same mercy towards others.

•How can I become a person of greater mercy?
I can become a person of greater mercy by following Jesus’ example and the example of others in my life who move towards people, even people who have wronged them. This is what I’ve experienced not only from God but from the people in my life, my leaders, spouse and friends especially. Even though they have seen and been on the receiving end of my sins, they have not abandoned me but instead move towards me, expressing not only forgiveness but a greater vision for my life. They try to understand why I am the way that I am and concretely help me to change different sin patterns in my thinking and my actions. I can exercise greater mercy towards others by moving towards them, by getting to know them and their background. When I know someone’s background and what contributed to their makeup, I find the ability to empathize with them and show greater compassion. Perhaps that is one thing that enables God to show such mercy; He knows us thoroughly, knows our brokenness and how mangled we are by sin, so He has pity and compassion. When I recognize someone’s humanity, I see them not as a distant figure who does things that bother or annoy me, but instead as a person with a past, a story, a history that has marred them, and I can have compassion on them. I can move towards them by seeking reconciliation if there is tension or frustration between us. As I’m in the position to minister to many younger ones, I can show mercy on others by forgiving them even when they’ve wronged me, and showing them a different vision for their lives and giving them hope for change.

PERSONAL PRAYER
•Please write out a prayer of commitment or confession either based on today’s text, or upon reflection over recent events in your life.
Dear God, thank You for showing me unending mercy and compassion over many years. Over time, what has consistently emerged out of me is sin, and each time, You have never responded with retribution but with kindness and forgiveness. Help me to live with humble gratitude, and to extend the same love for others, and in this way, showing this cold and unforgiving world that You are a God who is so different, who loves Your enemies and who is kind to the righteous and the wicked.

—————–
Submitted by Michael K. from Gracepoint San Diego Church

Luke 6:27-36
The standard that Jesus establishes is one of treating others with love and kindness that is unconditional, i.e. regardless of what they may have done against you. Anyone – “even ‘sinners’” – can love those who love them, but he is calling his followers to love their enemies, and to do good not just to those who are good to them, but also to those who are not.

Perhaps on a very good day, when one is feeling extremely generous and charitable, this might be possible. But in general, I see that this is such a hard thing to do. My natural response when I am wronged in some way (which, in modern life, basically means I’ve been slightly inconvenienced) is to get annoyed. And my immediate gut-level response is to pay the other person back in kind rather than to be “merciful”.

A small and trivial example from this past week: a technician parked in my assigned parking spot at home, and placed two orange cones in front of their van. It was a bit irksome, and I have to confess that my first thought was to inconvenience them back and express my displeasure in some way – maybe by moving their cones somewhere else. In the end, I did call them and kindly asked them to move their car elsewhere. They didn’t apologize and I felt an additional slight offense at that. But it did surprise me, as I reflected on this later, that something so small, which really was not an inconvenience to me other than taking a few minutes of my time, would cause such a reaction.

Though this is somewhat of a silly example, as I thought about what other supposed wrongs or conflicts I face, I realized that I don’t even have people that I can call “enemies.” Basically even the conflicts or tensions that arise are with people that are close to me, that I would consider friends or family, i.e. “those who love you.” But even with these people, it’s so difficult to live out these principles of turning the other cheek, giving to everyone who asks, and doing to others as I would have them do to me.

That is how far I am from the standard that Jesus that prescribes and that he himself demonstrated as he responded to rebellious sinners that he came to save. He was the innocent party, who allowed himself to be convicted and nailed on a cross by the very people he came to rescue. In light of this supreme example of mercy and grace, of Creator for creature, of the Holy for the wicked, my heart is shown to be the small and shriveled heart that it is. “He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked,” and therefore I ought to be merciful just as God is merciful, and is merciful to me.

I’m also reminded of the parable of the unmerciful servant, who didn’t recognize the magnitude of the debt that had been canceled on his behalf, and was unable to have mercy on his fellow servant who owed him such a small amount. This is quite characteristic of myself, as I see how much I don’t want to let go of the little ways that I am inconvenienced or less-than-positively treated by the people I interact with on a daily basis. Most of the time I’m just moving on, not because I made the conscious decision to let it go, but simply because I forgot about it. I have a long way to go in living up to Jesus’ standard here, and I need to continually meditate on the kind of grace and mercy I’ve received, so that I can be properly calibrated to be gracious to others in kind. I also need to identify these times when I am being petty or small-hearted, repent of this, and also confess to the other party when this is causing me to act coldly towards them.

I grew up in a well-to-do family that provided for all my needs. I was given tutors when I needed it, I was given opportunities to develop skills, play sports, and even have work experience early. And while I am thankful for these things, these are also the things that made it so I didn’t think I needed God. I thought I could control my own destiny, that I could control my own life. I felt like if I tried hard, if I worked at something, I could be successful. So I never saw my need for God. It wasn’t until high school and the early part of college when I started to realize that I didn’t have control over my sin addictions, that as hard as I tried, I couldn’t secure my future, that I started to have the humility to seek God. At the same time, my mother was hospitalized with a brain aneurism and had two consecutive major brain surgeries. I knew at that time, that no matter how put together I looked externally, I was not in control of my life or the lives of my loved ones. Through these difficult times, I started to seek God and the result was that I became a Christian my freshmen year. Since then, my life has been filled with ups and downs, and again and again I have experienced that during the difficult times of my life, when I cry out to God, I experience him in a more intimate way. But it is when things are going smoothly in my life, when I forget God or don’t feel the need for God. So in many ways, when I face difficulty, when I experience my own weakness, it becomes a precious time where I can experience the truth of God’s power and the reality of my own reliance on God.

Luke 6:22-23
• What may come to those who follow Jesus in this world?
This passage tells us that there will be times when men hate you, exclude you, insult you, and reject you for following Jesus. When I read this, I think of the students that we’ve been ministering to out here in Taiwan. As this is a country made up of over 70% Buddhism/Taoism and closer to 90% that practice these traditional family religions, nearly all our students face opposition from their family when they make their decision to become Christian. For many, facing the cost of discipleship means that they will receive rejection and insult from their parents. On top of that, Taiwanese culture is such that children grow up valuing obedience to their parent and their extended family. So for them to experience this kind of persecution from the family is very painful since for many of them, this is the first time they have disagreed with their family. So for them, following Jesus, literally means they will be hated by some of their loved ones that view their decision as a rejection of the family. Yet, when I see their faith, I see how this has matured them. I see how they struggle to make sure what they believe is true, and I see them changing as they take their faith seriously. And in many ways, this experience is that blessing for them. I also see how much they pray before they return home for vacations, and how much they desire to be a good witness to their families through serving around the house. And for many of them, after being a Christian for a while, their parents are won over in the sense that they admit that their children have grown up since becoming Christian. They recognize that they have changed from being selfish to more other-centered. And what started out as rejection gives way to acceptance. And this was even more actualized during our past baptism as four families attended the service and heard the testimonies of their kids. These parents shared how they have notice that their children are more happy than before, how they have changed, and for that they are thankful to the church. And it is simply amazing because these are the same parents that our students were very scared to share their decision with and the same parents that initially reacted very strongly against their faith.

Submitted by Jessica C. from Gracepoint San Diego Church
Self-Study
Being poor, being hungry, weeping/mourning, being hated/rejected, being excluded/left out/not welcomed…this list contains everything that this world tries desperately to avoid. To them, such a life is a tragic life. No one wants to end up this way, and so people do everything they can in order to secure success, financial cushion, comfort, popularity, and acceptance. We see this philosophy played out at every stage of life—from middle school years, to high school, college, the working world, and then with family/kids. Growing up, I, too, believed that that was a blessed life. My parents raised me to place high value on securing success so that I could live a comfortable life. Media, classmates and friends taught me that the value of my worth is dependent on how many friends I have, and whether I’m in with the “in” crowd. Therefore I grew up believing that once I attain all of these, then my life will be set, and that it will then be a blessed life. I knew that my life was nowhere near blessed (according to those terms), but hoped that somewhere down the line, in the future, I will finally get there. But I thought about the irony of such a pursuit. Because as I pursued after securing a good job in a reputable company making good money, as I pursued after financial comfort and security, as I pursued after amassing materialistic things for myself, as I pursued after social acceptance and trying to find that niche to belong…that process to get there was far from what I would have called blessing. To pursue that great reputable career that I believed would solve all my problems involved tirelessly giving my time and energy, putting in 60-70 hour weeks, only to have my work discarded or redone. It meant constant stress, and the ever-present need to compete with other coworkers to stand out and win the approval of our supervisors. It meant giving up time to spend serving at church and building deeper relationships with people God placed in my life. To pursue financial security for myself involved being stingy and tight-fisted with my money when it came to opportunities to be generous. It meant constantly calculating how much I’m giving compared to others, and making sure I’m not being taken advantage of monetarily. It meant creating a chilling, cooling effect on my relationships with people. It meant constantly thinking about and being consumed about my finances and making sure I’m leaving a nice cushion for myself so that I won’t ever have to worry about being in lack. To pursue that desire for acceptance and sense of belonging involved me putting on all sorts of different masks, and doing things that I didn’t feel comfortable doing, and making a fool of myself at times in order to gain people’s attention…and at the end of it all, feeling degraded, empty, pathetic, and ashamed…not to mention feeling lost and confused as to my true identity. I had sought after a blessed life, but as I pursued after the world and its pleasures and promises, what I received instead were a bag of woes.

As I think about my life and what characterized it before I met Christ, in reading this passage, I see God’s wisdom and the truth of these words. God’s ways are right, His ways are true. His definition of a blessed life is correct. This is something that I need to embrace again and again, as I see how I still naturally default to wanting the blessed life as defined by the world’s terms. But as I’m reminded of the woes of following after worldly pursuits, and then also remembering various people in my life who live lives of sacrifice, self-denial, whose sphere of concern extends to so many people and who know what it means to weep and cry out for another person, who have experienced pains and at times “insults” that come with ministry and yet are able to persevere and remain committed to their calling…they are living examples of people in my life whose lives model after God’s definition of a blessed life. It is because of their obedience to God and their commitment to love others that their lives have been a great source of blessing and inspiration for me to also live accordingly. And as I see their lives full of joy, peace and purpose in the midst of its share of difficulties, I’m able to have that shift in being able to see what really is blessed.

Although this is an unusual situation compared to what I normally find myself in, this kind of disregard of others and focus only on my own agenda is not so unfamiliar for me. Especially when in a context where I feel like I’m in competition with someone else, there are times when I find myself viewing others not so much in terms of their humanity but only in terms of how they help me to get ahead or compare favorably with others. I remember times when I felt competitive with some peers, how I viewed other peers not as fellow brothers whom I want to care for, but just as people whom I can consider to be on my side to make me feel more important socially. Even with my leaders, I viewed them not so much as older Christians whom I wanted to learn from, but merely as people whose favor I could gain to make me feel more important in the context of our community. In those times, I’m not really caring for these people but are just viewing them as pawns in my own striving to get ahead of others. Another way that I can have a shriveled heart is if I view the people I’m ministering to mainly as indicators of my spiritual performance to boost my ego rather than people whom God has entrusted for me to care for. Because of my performance-oriented tendency, this attitude can seep in even in the midst of me trying to be faithful. If I am not careful, I can approach even ministry as just another task where I’m evaluated by the results, and I can even see spiritual growth or setbacks of the people I’m ministering to as indicators of my spiritual performance. To view people this way is such an unloving attitude to have and it degrades the humanity of the people that God has entrusted to me, and it is just driven by my pride and ego. Yet, it is such an easy thing for me to fall into if I’m just approaching Christian life and ministry as an area that I’m supposed to get “good” at and perform well in. I really have to take warning from the example of the Pharisees, of how far this kind of attitude can get, such that their only response to the precious healing of this man is anger. I really need to check my heart often to see if I’m really viewing others as just projects or pawns in my ego war, or as precious people that God has entrusted to me.

Purpose of the Sabbath
The Pharisees had such a misunderstanding of the purpose of the Sabbath. Although at one point they probably started off with a desire to honor God by keeping themselves free of distractions on this day of worship and reflection, we see that it has degenerated into mostly just rule-keeping and they did not appreciate the heart behind the Sabbath. Here, they were much more interested in Jesus’ blindly abiding by their misguided interpretation of “no work being done” by not even engaging in acts of healing. They thought that on the Sabbath, it was much more important to care about externally following their rules rather the healing of this man.

Jesus here asks what is lawful on the Sabbath, whether to save life or to destroy it? When we turn our focus and thoughts on him, it should naturally lead us to become people who are interested in saving and preserving life as well. So, this day of worship is a day when we can draw close to God and learn to share in his compassionate heart for people. It starts from personally relating and connecting to this God of mercy and grace, and from there to let his character and concerns rub off on us. The Pharisees could turn this personal relationship with God into just a mechanic following of human rules. How did they get to this point? Perhaps spiritual life grew something routine for them and they started to go through the motions without engaging their hearts. After all, after you do the same things for a long time, what was once challenging and took effort does become easier. Perhaps this is how spiritual life was like for them, and as they merely went through the motions more and more, they disengaged their hearts and even when it came to this day that was set aside for learning God’s heart, they just paid attention to superficial appearances and external behavior. It probably took a long time for their whole religion to get to this state, but this kind of movement is something that I can relate to as well. As I get older, it becomes easier just to go through the motions without engaging my heart as much as before and I can manufacture the same behavior with less effort. And in a way, the temptation to just approach spiritual life with a focus on the externalities can really take a life of its own, without me actually connecting with God through the same spiritual activities that I’ve done before. I can just be satisfied with the fact that I’m doing all the right things and being at the right places, without really being fully there and having my heart actually be engaged with God and with what’s going on. And when that happens, I can really start to have a twisted understanding of what spiritual life is all about, that it’s more about me doing the right behaviors rather than relating to the living God.

PERSONAL PRAYER
Dear Lord, it’s really sobering to see the example of the Pharisees and how they strayed so far from what a relationship with you should look like. How did they allow their hearts to slip so far away from You such that they view spiritual life as following rules and others as merely pawns in their own ego wars? Yet, in so many ways I see that I can have the same tendencies as well, when I fail to properly engage my heart before You and just mechanically approach Christian life or focus more on how I appear on the outside or how I “perform” spiritually. Please have mercy on me that I would not wander to such a point. Please help me to be honest in how I approach You and have those times of heart checks when I can really check my attitude towards You, that Christian life would not be just another thing I’m supposed to do well in and feel good about myself, but that it can really be me genuinely relating to a living God who has shown me mercy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
———–
Submitted by Tony C. from Gracepoint San Diego Church

Reflection Questions
Luke 6:1-4
•Have there been occasions in which I rigidly followed rules and in so doing failed to love others?
One thing that always comes to mind when I think of following rules rigidly was how I used to treat house cleaning as something that was mandatory which everyone should show up for. I thought it would only be fair if everyone took part in the cleaning. Since house cleaning was scheduled every week on the same day and time, not knowing that there was house cleaning should not be an excuse.

After cleaning, eating a household meal together was something that we did. Being so wrapped up in the thought that that person didn’t show up for cleaning, I remember there would be times when I didn’t even consider leaving a plate behind for them. As I look back, I realized how I never thought about the things that they were probably struggling with. With one brother, I knew that he wasn’t doing very well in school; perhaps he was just so bummed out with his performance at school that he wasn’t in the mood to clean. Maybe if I was more loving towards that housemate by saving a plate of dinner for him, he would have cheered up more and would’ve been more apologetic about his absence.

•What is the difference between the Pharisees’ and Jesus’ approach to the Sabbath?
For the Pharisees, the Sabbath was a duty they felt obligated to fulfill, as it was a way in which they could show to others their spirituality and devotion to God. For Jesus, he did not approach the Sabbath as a day in which he would refrain from doing anything. All he knew was that there was a man with a shriveled hand standing before him who had been suffering from this handicap for years, and it was an opportunity for Jesus to love this person by healing him.

•Are there ways in which my approach to spiritual life is similar to the Pharisees?
There are times when I get so caught up with the things that I feel like I need to do and get done in order to keep up an image of being spiritual and obedient to God that I miss out on opportunities to love others when the opportunity presents itself. I remember as an undergrad, I used to not want to spend time with my peers because I wanted to read a good Christian book. And as a working person now, there are times when I would do my devotionals or church related things and not take part in doing little things to express care and love to others, such as cleaning up the house or cooking for my housemate who have had a long day at work.

Luke 6:8
•How would a person with a withered hand normally feel about standing “in front of everyone”?
A person with a withered hand would probably feel very embarrassed and singled out as he stood in front of everyone. He knew that he was different from everyone else; throughout his life, he probably had many experiences where people gave him the look of pity or disgust that made him feel insecure and made him want to withdraw from others.

•What areas of my life are “withered”? What do I need to do to receive healing in these areas?
The withered areas of my life are the areas in which I would feel very embarrassed if I were to get called out for them. These are the sins that I want to ignore and hope that others would not address or confront me about. But in order for me to receive healing in these areas, I need to be willing to endure through the painful process of confession. It is through confession that I am able to acknowledge my true sinful condition, desire forgiveness through Christ, and begin the process of healing.

Luke 6:12-13
•Note what Jesus did before the choosing of the twelve apostles. What can I learn from Jesus’ example?
Before the choosing of the twelve apostles, Jesus “went out to the mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” For Jesus, he understood the spiritual battle that he was in and what the twelve apostles would face, and that perhaps made him pray all the more intensely. And as I recognize more and more just how real the spiritual battle is, I need to all the more pray for the people that I am ministering or reaching out to. I need to recognize that it is through my dependence on God, and not on my own experiences and competence, that I am able to engage in this spiritual battle against Satan.

Please write out a prayer of commitment or confession either based on today’s text, or upon reflection over recent events in your life.

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray in the midst of serving and being obedient to you that I would not be someone who is going to miss out on the opportunity to love others when the opportunity presents itself. And as I learn from today the kind of humble attitude that the man with the shriveled hand had, I pray that I too would not allow my pride to cause me to not want to come before you to confess my sins and shame so that I may begin the process of healing in the areas of my character flaws and sins.

Blessed man is described according to what he DOES NOT DO and what he DOES DO. He does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. He delights in the law of the Lord, and he meditates on it day and night. What I realized is that these things that a blessed man does and does not do are disciplines that I need to be intentional about doing because they are not natural to man. What appeals to sinful human nature is that of comfort, ego, selfishness, and I naturally want to hear their counsel. Delighting and meditating on God’s word day and night is not that which is natural or desirable to me. I with my sinful nature want to think about myself and how to preserve my life for my personal gain, and I want to be idle in my mind.

What would motivate me to from not indulging in my natural self? It is when I remember the consequences and the end/net result of following my sinful nature. The wicked will be judged and will not stand; such a person is like chaff that the wind blows away. Ultimately, the wicked and his way will perish. I see so many miserable people out there because they simply yielded to their sinful nature and thus the ways of the wicked.

Blessing and blessed life comes through restraint, self-control, and discipline of going to God’s word. Meditating on it “day and night” is definitely something that I am not used to doing and is not natural to me, but I am motivated by the picture of an anchored and fruit-bearing person. The more I live life, the more I realize how vulnerable and frail my body and life really is and how I desperately need to be deeply rooted on solid ground. In concrete application, I want to pick a key verse from each day’s devotion text and memorize it and meditate on it throughout the day. I also want to read more of God’s word and make time for these times on a daily basis. I have had the experience of God’s word feeding my soul in deeper ways as I intentionally meditated on His word and memorized it. I want to return to having those experiences again.

Finally, I see a note of God’s grace on sinners who are headed toward the way of being perished and facing God’s judgment, as He shows us through his word how to escape this path and be on the road to a blessed life. God could have left us alone, but he intervened and gave us his word to be freed from ourselves, and I am very thankful for his mercy.

Mark 1:8-11
I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Even before Jesus had done anything, before his first trial, these words were sent from heaven. God himself affirmed the identity of Jesus, “You are my son,” and his stance toward him, “whom I love; with you I am well pleased…” Jesus humbled himself to be baptized by a man and to identify with sinners only to be raised by God’s powerful words of love. Jesus had the total approval of God by virtue of his identity before he was ever tested.

As I am given another year by God, even before anticipating the inevitable trials and failures that will come, I have to be reminded of my identity and God’s stance toward me. I have become a daughter by grace. He is pleased with me because of the righteousness that was purchased for me on Calvary. Because of his atonement, God sees me the same way as he would see Jesus. God’s grace and salvation is permanent and cannot be taken away from me. This ecstatic fact is sometimes referred to as the “perseverance of the saints” as I learned from Pastor Ed’s class on systematic theology. Indeed it is a beautiful way to capture the effect that grace has to rejuvenate my willingness to try again. Every year is filled with more regrets and sin. “Why couldn’t I let go of that petty gripe that I had? Why was I so quick to blame? I know I could have done a better job if…” Given the bleak statistics of my life, it is hard to look at another year without being cynical or defeated or overwhelmed by the weight of what must be done. But God’s words of love and pleasure at who I am before him al because of Jesus gives me the joy and the hope to persevere. Before facing any wilderness, before confronting whatever comes my way, hearing the words of God is where it should all begin. Jesus had to humble himself and it was God who sent his words and his dove. In the same way, I need to humble myself, come before Jesus and confess to receive the grace and peace I need for each day, to receive the perseverance of the saints which is the assurance that I am and will forever remain his daughter with whom he is well pleased.

Mark 1:12-13
12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, 13 and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Before Jesus called his disciples or preached or performed miraculous signs, he was tempted in the wilderness. We hear of prophets that can perform miraculous signs, take disciples for themselves and preach the word of God, but how many of them were tempted by Satan himself? Only God can confront Satan himself. Jesus was no ordinary prophet and by denying himself and withstanding the extraordinary trials in the wilderness, he established his mission and his identity. It says the Spirit sent him out into the desert. He had to confront those temptations. What about me? In order to do ministry, I have to deny myself. I cannot be chasing after the same things as the world and expect to do ministry. Jesus’ ministry was characterized by self-denial. Those temptations didn’t stop at the wilderness. Till the very end of his life people were saying to him “Save yourself if you are…” Before I talk to people, before I do my daily tasks, before I consider myself doing God’s work, I have to do battle with temptations in my life, both on my knees in prayer and in my body. I can say to someone, “You cannot serve both man and money..” but it has no power if I have not battled with deriving comfort from hoarding money. What I say and do can be misinterpreted if I do not demonstrate a life of self-denial like Jesus. Like it says in James 1:22, it is not a battle that is merely played out in my head or in my spirit but something that translates into direct action. After long nights of making videos, shooting footage, helping with food prep, etc., at least at home, I feel the entitlement to rest. This is a lie as we are all servants. But there is that temptation to give into Satan’s lies. Whether I succumbed will be evident by whether I push my body to pick up those dishes, to do my share of the choirs, to clean, etc. This year I want to focus more on these battles of self-denial. Like Jesus was alone in the desert, it is a battle that begins in my mind and in my heart, places where no one can accompany me. It would be a lonely, hopeless battle were it not for the church. I’m thankful for the community of believers that can keep me accountable in pursuing a life of self-denial. It’s not easy for anyone to live a life of self-denial but by being surrounded by like-minded people that will call on me for concrete acts of selfishness, I feel more assured that I will not be deluded or spiral down into a pit of worldly pursuits.

Mark 1:35, 44
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed”…He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was…44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone.

On the surface, it does not seem to make sense that Jesus is reluctant to reveal who he is. Yet we see Jesus silencing the demons from disclosing his true identity and telling the leper to keep his healing a secret. Why? God had marked out the timing and manner of Jesus’ revelation during his days on earth and Jesus submitted to God’s plan. How? Jesus woke up earlier than his disciples and went to a solitary place to pray. Often times, I thoughtlessly jump from one activity to another, saying this and that, prioritizing things in the way that seems best to me at the time. The decision seems good on the surface. But often times, I know that I failed in many things because I did not approach the day prayerfully. Jesus fought the battle in his body to push away exhaustion after late nights of healing and preaching and traveling, only to wake up early the next morning to pray in a solitary place. What about me? Do I fight that battle to prioritize prayer into my schedule? Do I have sufficient motivation to pray? Making judgments in a reactionary way is a sure recipe for disaster because God’s ways are so creative and unpredictable. How many times have I made unwise decisions because of my lack of prayer? They are numerous. It ought to be a constant reminder of how I must take the discipline of solitude and prayer seriously if I expect to be a positive force in the building of God’s kingdom. Like Jesus began his days and his ministry with prayer, I want to again commit to fighting my body to make times of solitude and prayer before approaching the trials of the day.
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Submitted by Ken H. from Gracepoint Berkeley Church
I. John the Baptist Preparing the Way for the Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry (Mark 1:2-3)
The ministry of Jesus began with John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus by first baptizing people and preaching for people to repent for the forgiveness of sins. John the Baptist also prepared the way for Jesus by announcing the news of Jesus’ coming to the people. It was a message of proclaiming the coming of the Jesus by demanding that the people first repent, to have their hearts be set to be right before God so that there is room in the heart to welcome Jesus into their lives.

As everyone starts new year, it is common to make inspiring plans for the new year–for example, to gain a healthier lifestyle, to exercise, to make progress in one’s financial future to be more secured, to be more successful, etc. There is often a lot of optimism and hope driven by one’s own motivation to turn the page from the past year, as well as the general upbeat mood that people have for the new year. As I start this new year, I also have many inspiring thoughts, or even bravado of how my life can be very different from the past year: how I want to live my life differently to be a better husband, to be a better friend, to be more generous, to be less lazy, to be a more committed disciple of God, to pray more, to love people more, and to serve more, etc. Today’s passage reminds me that, while it is not wrong for me to want to live a more committed life in this new year, my priority should really be to start the year off by having my heart to be set right before God, to prepare my heart in first acknowledging and confessing my sins to him so that there is room in my heart allow Jesus to dwell in my life.

Rather than believing that somehow the new year will be “different” or motivating myself to buy into my own hype, I need to humbly acknowledge that all of these seemingly wonderful plans and wishful thinking about what I would like to take place in the upcoming year are irrelevant compared to the fact that any of my unconfessed, unrepentant sins will poison my heart and make my heart an inhabitable place for Jesus to dwell and work in my life. This is the same reason why John the Baptist needed to preach this very direct message to everyone at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, because unless people set their hearts right before God, to view themselves correctly and to see their true needs to before God—the forgiveness of their sins–Jesus’ coming would not be able to make any meaningful impact on their lives. In other words, rather than being so automatically hopeful for this new year and for all the seemingly wonderful possibilities and projections I can have for my own life, it is all the more important to look, directly and squarely, inside my heart, and to see my actions, my words, and my thoughts that had negatively hurt or impacted my own relationship with God and with others over this past year and to be sober about them. I need to ask God for forgiveness and a heart that genuinely desires repentance, so that my life can be baptized again and be renewed to welcome whatever Jesus will do in my life. The greed, pride, jealousy, lust, and anger that occupied my heart need to be cleansed and forgiven by God, and my life needs to be re-baptized like this on a daily basis, so that each new day can begin and be led by God and carried by his grace rather than through my own wishful thinking, motivation, and bravado.

II. Leaving valuables Behind to be with Jesus and to become Fishers of Men (Mark 1:16-20)
When Jesus began proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God and repentance, he also began calling the disciples to him and to make them fishers of men. When Peter and Andrew were called they left their nets, their livelihood, at once to join Jesus. When James and John were called, they also left their nets and boats, as well as the hired men, all of which represent their livelihood, to follow Jesus. More significantly, when Jesus called James and John without delay to join his ministry, James and John also left their father Zebedee in order to follow Jesus.

For Peter, Andrew, James, and John, Jesus’ call for them to join the ministry to become the fishers of men must have not taken lightly by them. It must not have been a casual decision. These four men had to leave behind their livelihood, and perhaps even more significantly, their family whom they had spent their entire life with to cast their lot with Jesus in order to do God’s ministry. This picture of discipleship contrasts sharply with the picture of our 21st century churches in the west where people congregate comfortably once a week every Sunday, often with family and friends, to worship God and then shortly afterward retreat to their castles of protection (home and nuclear family) to continue the pursuit of a secured life. Peter, Andrew, James, and John had to leave their families in order to join Jesus, and practically not knowing where their next meal would be coming from as Jesus traveled from town to town in order to minister and heal various people.

The call of discipleship requires costly personal sacrifices, and Jesus’ first disciples model this life for me. In addition, I also know that I am by surrounded this great crowd of witnesses at our church, in which many had stayed for more than twenty years in order to give their all to serve God and to bring the good news of salvations, in which I was one of such recipients of this incredible gift of salvation. I was reminded of the costly sacrifices that many of the older brothers and sisters who have been part of our church for over 20 years have made in order to join God’s ministry and to carry out the ministry. In those early days in which our church was still small, these brothers and sisters gave so much financially and in other means. They stuck it out even during some of the more difficult periods, and God was faithful to them and the fruits of their labor were so evident today. From their sharing, I know some of their decisions were not easy, and many times even painful. Nevertheless, they did so out of their obedience and love to God, as well as knowing that they and the church together would be contending as one to do God’s work.

I am so thankful to be a recipient of this rich legacy and tradition of personal obedience and sacrifice, and as I look into my own life, I know that in the same way, God has made the same call to me to continue to join him in his work at our church, and particularly to minister to younger brothers and to the youth students. This means in practicality when my heart wants to shrink back either emotionally, physically, or financially in the different arenas of service to God, I need to remember and be reminded of these very first disciples, as well as the many lives at our church that I have personally witnessed, and to make decisions to not shrink back, but rather make decisive actions and commitments of sacrifice and giving, to become a fisher of man and to pass down this legacy of giving and sacrifice, so that others may receive this same gift of God’s love and salvation.

In the first pages of God’s Word, God’s creative acts are awesome to behold. His “fiat” declarations would cause things to happen. He was creating realities by declaring them as such. Out of a formlessness and emptiness, God created matter and began an ordered reality. As I reflect on the scale of what was happening, the kind of sovereignty and majesty surrounding God is quite breathtaking. But I also notice that after every time God creates, He also evaluates and pronounces it as being “good.” I realize that means God’s act of creation was a moral activity, and not merely an exercise in raw, comprehensive power. Behind all the raw movement of matter, God is creating because of goodness and for goodness. The first Beginning is an act of total goodness, and I think could be considered, an act of love. I just always imagined that the beginning of all beginnings was big, awesome, and powerful, as if God was flexing his cosmic muscles. Indeed it was. But going through Genesis 1 again, I see how each powerful act is in fact seated in a heart of love and goodness. “And God saw that it was good.” God was creating with purpose and intentionality, and by the end of creation, we see it is for man to steward and rule over. His creative force is not for in itself, but is surrounded in a moral language, that is for the good for us to enjoy and to entrust what He has created to us. Like a master artisan working on his work of art for many years, only to not keep the final product for himself, but give and entrust to a son or daughter to enjoy.

As I begin this new year, it is very fitting to consider once again where I have come from. Indeed, there have been many “realities” in my past that did not have to be there. Through many acts of God, both small and big, there are many things in my life that I have come to enjoy, that probably wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for God making them such. I think about my relationships within this body of Christ, as well as the blessing of a lot of good, meaningful work of ministry that I get to participate in. I think even my mind and my judgment today is a reality that God made possible. If it weren’t for God and His Word, I’d be going along the path that I was—just being preoccupied and anesthetized with frivolous entertainment options and worldly distractions.

Spiritually speaking, my Genesis 1 was my freshmen year in college, and looking back, it feels like God spoke many realities into place that would later flourish: a message at my first NSWN, my first birthday surprise party, or my first retreat where people took God’s Word seriously. I see God’s love in my life as He created these things in my life, because it didn’t have to be that way. So much of my life path up to that point was so much about me trying to create my own realities (and failing at such). Rather, much of what God created in my life, all the good things, from having people who love me to having my own family, these are all things God gave and made in my life, but also entrusted to me. God’s creative effort in my own life doesn’t end with me just receiving. But just as God’s vision for man was to have meaningful work stewarding and tending creation, so what I have received from God is really an entrustment, perhaps not too dissimilar from the cosmic entrustment of creation itself. Salvation being my greatest new beginning created by God is a gift and entrustment that I need to steward and tend to–to share God’s love to people in my life, and to participate with God to create salvation beginning in other’s lives. The high calling of man to rule over creation is thus mirrored as the high calling to love and minister on behalf of Christ in the people God placed in my life.

Personal Prayer:
Father, as I start this new year, I want to thank you and recognize what you have made possible in my life, not just in this past year with so many milestones and highlights I’ve been able to enjoy, but stretching all the way back when you took a wandering, restless college boy and made a new beginning in my life. You created realities that I enjoy now, in people and purpose, that I never thought would be possible when I was younger. I pray that with all you have entrusted to me, please give me strength this coming year to fully participate in your redemptive work, and to help start new similar beginnings in other people’s lives. As I look at my own life, I realize how many small beginnings took many years to grow to become tangible and recognizable. Lord, I want to be patient and faithful with the people I minister to that you have placed in my life.
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Submitted by Rosalin K. from Gracepoint Berkeley Church
In the beginning, there was nothing. Only God existed. Therefore, God had to start from the beginning by separating light and darkness (day and night), then separating sky and land, and separating land and seas. Once he formed these basic elements, then he moved onto creating plants and trees on land, then he created sun, moon, and stars where time and different seasons can be tracked down. Then, he created birds, sea creatures, and then land creatures. At the end, God created human in the image of God himself to rule over all that he created. The order of his creation makes perfect sense even scientifically. Without day and night, without land and sea, without sky, sun, moon, and stars, the plants and trees, the living creatures on land, in seas, and in sky cannot survive. Without all these creations, man cannot survive. After every creation, God saw that “it was good.”

In the beginning, there were only basic elements for all his living creatures to survive. We had water, land, sky, sun, moon, stars and these were more than enough for us to increase in number and be fruitful. God provided all that we needed which were very basic things. We had plenty of fruit to eat from; we didn’t even have to grow them and we didn’t need shelter or clothing because those were unnecessary. To God everything that he created looked good in his eyes and I have no doubt that it must have been good even in Adam and Eve’s eyes. They had everything that they needed for their survival. They did not worry about what to eat and what to wear. In the beginning, God created all that was necessary for us to live without worrying about anything. Everything was good. However, as I think about how all that changed after sin entered our hearts, it saddens me as I see how much sin can destroy all that were good and caused grief, heartaches, and betrayal.

For me, I am thankful that I live in America one of the most developed country where we have everything that we need. However, I recognize the desires within myself wanting more than what I am already given. Consequently, I am unable to be thankful at all times and sometimes I am filled with complaints and greed. This hinders me from fully understanding what the beginning was like. It’s hard for me to imagine how there was nothing, but God created everything from the scratch and then he created man and woman. They did not need to look after themselves because they were well fed and they simply needed to rule over the creations–even that God probably guided them and worked with them. The fact that God actually made man and woman in his own image versus how he simply created other creatures makes humans to be very special. God wanted us to share in his creation even though we are part of his creation. God wanted us to rule over his creation and wanted us to be part of this world where we work together with God. His intention was for us to enjoy his creation together with him. However, sin entered our lives and we no longer shared his heart and design.

I experience this desire to want more on daily basis. I am finding myself wanting more than what I have—desiring more time to myself to indulge in my selfishness and laziness rather than sharing my time to minister to the younger sisters, peers, or to spend that time to reflect on the God’s Word so I am more prepared to fight against sin within me and sin outside of me. Even though I am thankful for all that I am given–such as an apartment, running water, two cars, a loving husband, a stable job, financial security, healthy parents, a loving community, higher education, etc.–I constantly have to fight against these desires to want more.

However, as I am being reminded of the beginning and how God created this world, I can understand God’s heart and I am being rebuked for these desires of wanting more. When God created this world, he thought through everything as he created this world so that I have everything I need. I simply need to be thankful for what I am given rather than focusing on what I want more. I need to practice being grateful daily for what I have. Also, when I shift focus away from myself to others, I find myself being less selfish and less lazy but more motivated to share God’s love and all that God has given to me and I find joy in sharing.

Personal Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much for your love, grace, and mercy and all that you have given to me even though I really don’t deserve it. You created this world so that I will be content and I will be a part of your creation. I am thankful that you did not give up on me but you patiently pursued me so that I can experience being part of your creation in more personal way rather than indulging myself with my selfish desires and laziness. You created this world and it was good in your eyes. I pray that I will live my life and see that what you have provided is good. Please help me to fix my eyes on you and your work rather than indulging in my greed, selfishness, and laziness. Thank you so much. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Life is frail, and it is uncertain. I don’t think those who boarded the flight, or those workers who went to work at the World Trade Center, or those firefighters who reported for work on that fateful day on September 11 would have ever imagined tragically that it would be their last day of life. Life, one’s own health, the well-being of loved ones, and even one’s own sanity isn’t guaranteed. The fact that I am living today, going to work, coming home to a wife and two kids, having the opportunity to serve in our church, and being in a community of brothers and sisters is nothing but a gift. There is nothing that I did nor is there any reason that would explain my life today.

James 4:15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

The right approach that I need to have with regards to my life, to my future is to submit to the will of God. He is the one who has provided me with life and all of its blessings. It is only when I submit myself and obey God’s commandments will I experience the life that He has intended for me. There was a period in my life where I had followed my own desires and wishes. I had my own ideas as to what would constitute as happiness and satisfaction and a lot of it resembled closely with the world’s notion of success.

2 Peter 3:9 He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

I am recipient of God’s patience. The frustrations and the disappointments that I experienced in life due to having my plans fall short was something that God used to bring me out of darkness and to repent over the fact that I was still master and lord over certain areas of my life. It was done out of God’s love for me and to see the truth that it was God, and not I, who would be in control over my life. This was done because of the fact that as 1 Peter 4:7 states, “the end of all things is near.” As I thought about how I would live my life should this year be my last, I commit myself to living a life of loving people. What will matter at the end of my life isn’t so much how I have accomplished or attained success in a worldly sense but whether I have obeyed God’s call to love Him and to love others. The reality is that time is short. There is no guarantee that my life will extend to the expected age and it is these truths that I want to commit to as I live out 2012.
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Submitted by Sandra.L from Gracepoint Berkeley Church
Reflect on the somber yet practical passages below about our approach to the times that God has granted us. What truths are here about time, about the future, about our lives, and about the proper response to these truths?

As I welcome this new year and anticipate all that it will bring, I am very thankful that God is gracious and gives me a chance to start over, start anew in my relationship with him, and further resolve to serve him and him only. As I read these passages, I am hit again by the urgency and warnings that these texts give. The world teaches me to plan very well for all sorts of things and to have contingencies for the future by equipping myself with graduate school, all sorts of certificates, planning for my family, planning for that rainy day, etc. The list is endless. But apart from the Bible, I have never received instruction and guidance on how to actually plan for the end of my life, my eternal future. If anything, I am taught by the world to distract myself from these things, busy myself with the daily distractions and worries.

1 Peter 4:7 states that the end of all things is near. It instructs me to be clear-minded and self-controlled. And what leads from this is to love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins. This reminds me that in the end, the thing that matters most is to love those around me, because in the end that is the most important. I know that this is the case, but when I zoom into my life on a daily basis, my preoccupations often circle around getting things done with the tasks and responsibilities I am given, including ministry responsibilities. This instructs me that I need to be clear minded and self controlled to be able to recognize that most important thing is people in my life and loving and caring for them, above all the tasks that I need to get done.

2 Peter 3:8-13 gives me another reminder of the nature of the Lord’s coming. He is a loving and compassionate God, patient with the desire that all will come to know him, but there will be a day when we will all have to give an account for our lives. It can happen any day, and I am reminded of this reality through the stories I hear on the news of sudden deaths through different tragedies, or even people dealing with different sicknesses in my midst. Since I do not know when the Lord will come, I need to live every day with the goal to live a holy and godly life. I need to also anticipate the day of the Lord’s coming, and even “speed it up” by anguishing in prayer for this generation and loving others.

Prayer:
Dear heavenly father, thank you for your word that gives me such clarity and sharp focus on what is truly important in my life. In the end, the measure of my life will only be determined by my love and devotion to you, whether or not I built on the firm foundation of your word, and if I entrusted my life to you. I confess that often times I let the little and mundane things of my life cloud my vision of what is truly important. Help me to gain clarity by coming back again and again to your word and refocusing. Help me to speed your coming by living a holy and godly life. Thank you for your word which always gives clarity around what is truly important.
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Submitted by David T. from Gracepoint Berkeley Church
The first thing from each of these passages that I noticed is that they all spell out some truth about the brevity of life and how unpredictable life is. “You do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). “The end of all things is near” (1 Peter 4:7). “The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare” (2 Peter 3:10). These are all very true statements about life. Life is unpredictable, and we have no good way to know when our lives are going to come to an end, and the end of all things is coming soon when this earth will disappear and the judgment will come. These are true statements of great importance in our lives. These are not inconsequential truths, but truths that should definitely affect how we live every single day of life that we have on this earth.

And then these passages continue to tell us how then we should be living our lives, in light of these truths. “Anyone, then, who knows the good that he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:17). “Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:7-8). “You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming” (2 Peter 4:12). In light of this, God’s Word tells us that we ought to be doing good, praying, loving one another deeply, and living holy and godly lives. And we do not do good for the sake of doing good, but because of the times and because there is an end goal in mind–we do these things because we are looking forward to the day of God and we speed it’s coming. We do things with that day in mind and we live our lives in preparation for that day when everything is going to change. The end is coming and people need salvation from their sins because whether or not they accept the Gospel is going to determine whether they spend an eternity in heaven or an eternity in hell. These are not revolutionary new ideas. These are things that I have known from the moment that I became Christian until now. It is a fact that I live in a dying world, so my efforts should not be on creating a home for myself here on this earth, but rather doing all that I can in terms of praying and loving others and doing good to bring as many people with me to heaven as possible–my family, friends, coworkers, and just everyone around me. But the reality is that I do not often live a life that really reflects a belief in these truths. In my mind and with my mouth I say that I believe these truths, but when I look at the things that I actually spend my time and energy chasing after, such as leisure time for myself, personal comfort that is not disturbed by other people, things to puff up my ego and sense of importance. This shows that the truth that I actually believe is that it is all about building up my life here on this earth and being as comfortable as possible here on earth. But, when I put pursuit of this kind of life against the backdrop of the reality that is described in these passages, then it is revealed as the foolish, sad, pathetic, shameful and dishonorable life that it actually is. To spend a life to pursue personal comfort when time is so short, when people need salvation, and when all the things that I build here on this earth is not going to last, it just doesn’t make any sense.

So, then, what are the things that I ought to be doing in light of the times and situation that we are living in? What is the good that I ought to be doing, the prayers that I ought to be praying, the people that I ought to be loving, and the ways that I ought to be living a holy and godly life? One area that came to mind is my approach to my ministry in Interhigh. Here is a chance for me to do some work that will affect the eternities of these youth students. My work for them needs to really expand beyond Sundays, and I really need to be upping the intensity in how much I am praying for them and thinking of ways to show love and care for them throughout the week and over the whole year. Another way that I need to change is in becoming someone who is easier to correct and someone who is not always trying to protect his ego by trying to avoid painful truths about myself. So often it takes a long time for issues and problems with my conduct and character to be dealt with, because my pride makes it very difficult for me to confess and hear truth about myself. But, giving the times that we are living in, this really needs to change as well.

Prayer:
Father God,
I thank you once again for this gift of a new year, another chance to live my life in a right way in light of your Word and the reality that it describes. Lord, I pray that this year my life would line up with how I know that it ought to be as I reflect correctly on the urgency of the times. Lord, I know that the only worthy and honorable and sensible way to spend this life of mine is in full commitment to you and to the work of the Gospel. Please help me to sacrifice all of my lesser goals and my lesser dreams and my desires for the greater purpose of the work of your Gospel. I pray that I would really mature in this way in this coming year that you have given me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Give us today our daily bread.
I am dependent on you each day for life itself. I often forget that basic fact, and I think I can achieve some sort of security on my own, through my hard work and efforts. I forget how frail I am, how easily everything can be taken away by an accident or some illness. I cannot secure my own life, much less the lives of those I love. So please give me my daily bread for today – sustain me and protect me for another day of life, so that I may live out my commitments to you.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
You know my sins, oh God, the ways my heart wanders away from you and seeks security in my own accomplishments; the ways I am caught up in myself and furthering my own ambitions rather than loving the people you have placed around me; the ways I resist your call to deny myself, take up my cross daily and follow you. Please have mercy on me, and forgive me for these debts to you. Please give me another chance, another day to live out your commands, not because I deserve it, but because you are a God who is gracious and compassionate. Likewise, help me to be merciful towards those I feel have wronged me. I know that my feelings are sometimes unjustified, so please forgive me for those feelings as well. But as I have been forgiven so much, do not let me sin against you by holding onto grudges against anyone else.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Guard me from temptation, oh God, because you know my weaknesses. You know exactly what I can handle and you always provide a way out, so help me to be humble and to flee from temptation. Deliver me from all of Satan’s attacks, because I know the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to devour me. Even though I am weak, but that your strength is made perfect in weakness and that you are greater than our enemy. So please deliver me, help me to be vigilant, and to flee from temptations I will face today.

Nehemiah 1:1-4
“In 586 B.C. Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians. Besieged, attacked and burned, Jerusalem was left in ruins. … When the Persian Empire succeeded the Babylonians, the exiled Jews were allowed to return home to resettle their homeland. Nehemiah is one of the children of the exile and most likely grew up entirely in exile.”[1]
Notice that Nehemiah’s questions about Jerusalem end up fundamentally disrupting his life. Do I want to know the truth about needy people, troubled situations, or other potentially “messy” situations, or do I try to limit the range of my concerns so that I can preserve a sense of personal tranquility?
Nehemiah’s seemingly innocent question ended up drastically changing his life. The answer to his question became something that consumed him and became the purpose for his life. But it all started with his question and his interest and concern about Jerusalem and the remnant that survived the exile. I think I have been growing in my capacity to want to know the truth about needy people, troubled situations, or other potentially “messy” situations as I have grown older over the years and hopefully a little more mature, a little more selfless, and a little more other-centered. Especially serving in college ministry, this is something that I am challenged with constantly. I do want to know the truth about needy people, troubled situations and other potentially messy situations, to try and help them, to do something about it, as God has called me to do. However, I do also recognize the temptations to limit the range of my concerns to that I can preserve a sense of personal tranquility. I do recognize the times where I know if I dig deeper or get more involved, it’s going to take up a lot of time, emotional energy, difficult conversations, and the like, and I hesitate. I start to analyze and see if I can estimate how long this might take and if I can work that around what I want to do, my agenda, and if I have enough “resources” to handle it. It becomes very calculating and cold, not loving and embracing of the person and the situation. I think I still do this at times, and I do need to continue to grow in sacrificing myself and embracing that person and situation to find out the truth and to involve myself, no matter what the cost.

Notice Nehemiah’s reaction to the news he received. What is my typical reaction when I am confronted with facts that cause me concern, or burden my heart?
Nehemiah’s reaction to the news he received was to sit down and weep. Bu it wasn’t just a momentary thing. It affected him for days, where he would mourn, fast and pray to God. It encompassed him completely. He could not do other things. My typical reaction when I am confronted with facts that cause me concern, or burden my heart, is one of two different possibilities. I either start to get anxious and want to be very active, to get to work and make a checklist of tasks, of things that need to get done, to try and address or solve whatever it is that is causing me concern or burden. Or, if nothing can be done directly about the situation that is causing me burden, I try to distract myself with being busy with other things, other tasks, so that I don’t have to think about it. I don’t often really let the facts sink in and stay with me, to ruminate and stew in me, to meditate, mourn, fast and pray about them. I can try to move on very quickly to the next thing, the next thing I need to take care of. This is an area that I need to grow in, to not just be a person who wants to always be active and just do things, but to connect my heart, my mind and my spirit with what I am doing, with what I am taking in, with the things that I hear about and cause concern and burden. I need to be more intentional about slowing down, reflecting, and connecting more with my emotional side, as that is something that I’m not very good at. I need to allow myself to mourn for what God would mourn about, to personally connect with and engage and tackle the issue not through action first, but through fasting and prayer as demonstrated by Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 1:5-11
What are some notable elements of Nehemiah’s prayer?
Some notable elements of Nehemiah’s prayer include Nehemiah praising God for who He is, a great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands, Nehemiah taking responsibility and confession not just for his own sin, but for the sins of the Israelites as a whole, himself and his father’s house, Nehemiah recalling the promises of God to Moses, and Nehemiah’s request of God to listen to his prayer and the prayer of His servants and for favor and success in his endeavors. Even though Nehemiah was so greatly affected by the sad news and the sad state of Jerusalem and his people, he is able to praise God for who He is. That is pretty amazing. He doesn’t let events or current circumstances color or change his view or understanding of God. Nehemiah also accepts responsibility for and repents on behalf of his people for all of their sins and their wickedness. That is definitely very notable, as it seems nowadays people have trouble accepting responsibility and repenting for their own sins, much less the sins of other people. Nehemiah knew God’s promises that He had made to Moses and claimed them for himself and this situation, and he depended on God for the current circumstance. In all of these things, Nehemiah demonstrates how to pray to God and some amazing attitudes on his part. I don’t think that my prayers always look like this, especially in the face of very large, disheartening, difficult situations. Often, my prayers just go straight to supplication, asking for help, asking for success from God. I don’t often praise God for who He is in difficult circumstances. I try to accept and repent for my own sins, but I don’t always take on the burden of others’ sins as my own. I hope that I can see and emulate Nehemiah’s prayer and just the intricacy and many levels of relating with God through prayer, instead of just focusing on one aspect and missing out on the rest.

Nehemiah refers to God as the great and awesome God. How can Nehemiah view God this way given what has happened to Jerusalem? Can I affirm that God is great and awesome regardless of the shifting fortunes of my life?
Nehemiah does refer to God as the great and awesome God. He can view God in this way given what has happened to Jerusalem because his view of God is not changed by circumstances, even if they are bad or difficult. He is aware of the rebelliousness, wickedness and sin of the Israelites before God, how they did not obey His decrees, commands and laws, and thus were bearing the consequences for their own actions and their own sins. But he knows God’s character, who God is, and faithfully clings to that. It is often hard for me to do the same, to affirm that God is great and awesome regardless of the shifting fortunes of my life. Especially when things are difficult and not going well, when I’m facing a lot of challenges, hardships or things not going my way, it’s hard for me to praise God for who He is. But mentally I know the truth, and I know that God is constant and faithful, and that my view of Him and how I relate to Him should not be so fickle or dependent upon circumstances, especially when the difficulties and challenges I am facing are not all that big in the grand scheme of things. I have been learning over the years to not be so easily swayed by circumstances and to be able to praise God even in the difficulties, but I think this is definitely an area that I can continue to grow in a lot, through prayer, reflection, recounting and remembering God’s faithfulness and His many blessings in my life that I don’t deserve, that I didn’t earn.

Praise be to you, O LORD…
The God who is true, in whom there is no falsehood.

You bring hope to a hopeless world that is deceived, discouraged and defeated by its lies and false promises.

You pluck people out of our endless cycles of striving or our delusional bubbles and bring us into reality and provide strength and hope to live in the real world with the hope of heaven.

You provide real purpose for our lives because the gospel is true and good and full of hope.

You are the giver of all talent and abilities so that we can give generously to bring honor to your name.

You give our church the calling to engage in so many different kinds of good works that there is never a shortage of good work to be done.

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

But who are we that we should be able to serve and have such opportunities to impact so many lives? We were all lost, damaged, broken people who did not know right from wrong, who did only what we pleased. But you have given us youth, health, talent, creativity and many people who are willing to give their evenings after work, every night of the week if need be. This is an incredible level of commitment and willingness. We give because you are worthy of our entire being. May all our younger ones give their time, talents and resources willingly and wholeheartedly. I am so thankful for their commitment and attitudes to give to me, to us the authority to speak into their lives. But all of this is only because of you. Please help us to always give with willingness.

—

From Gracepoint Berkeley Church member

Praise be to you, O LORD…

Yours is the wonderful plan to reconcile sinners like me back to you.  Yours is the compassion and mercy, looking upon my need and rescuing me from my sin even when I was hostile to you, when I did not know what was good for me.

Yours is the wonderful plan to involve me in your great work.  I am full of sins.  Yet you call me to represent you to the rest of the world that does not know who You are.  You call me to be your hands, your feet, your voice.  You know my sins get in the way all the time, you know I am full of folly, you know that I stumble every step of the way.  Yet, you choose to work through me, and I am amazed that I get to take part in your work.  I would have never imagined that at this point in my life I would be ministering to the elderly in nursing homes.  I could not have come to this point even if I tried.  You have given me work that renews me each week.  As I see the residents, I am reminded that the only thing that we truly need is salvation.  I am reminded that I have been given health, time, the ability to think, speak, and that I need to use these for proclaiming the gospel.

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

Who am I?  I am thoroughly self-centered, I am petty.  I am broken in many ways.  Yet, you rescued me and let me experience your generosity.  You’ve provided for all of my physical needs.  You have surrounded me with people who are committed to you – people who take your words seriously, who give themselves endlessly without asking for recognition, who are willing to give themselves in any way that will accomplish what you desire.  They inspire me, push me, work alongside me, helping me to be faithful to you.

Who are we that as a church we get to minister to so many different groups of people, from children to middle school and high school, to college students, grad student, to visiting scholars, to the elderly?  Who are we that we get to introduce Christianity to people from different parts of the world because they come to where we are?

I have no noble thoughts or desires, I do not know how to live a fruitful or meaningful life, but you have filled my life with meaningful work throughout each week.  You nourish me through the discipleship time, you give me a chance to connect with you through devotion time and prayer meeting, and through ministry, you give me opportunities to be a blessing to others, to build them up so that together as your people we can declare clearly to the world that there is God who is waiting to receive them back and love them.  You have generously provided me so many teachings and training over the years, and through ministry, you give me opportunities to be delivered from my self-focused ways, and to learn to do what is good for others.  What a blessed life!

—

From Gracepoint Berkeley Church member

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
You lifted me out by giving me hope when I was overrun by sin and by the consequences of sin.  You have given me a hope and a future by giving me a place to belong, a place to call my home, a people with whom I can share the same sentiment with, and giving me good work to do, so I can reverse the cycle of sin’s destruction.

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
You have given me a new thing to praise about.  It’s no longer about my own life, but it’s about you, what you do , what you are like.  Because I always remember that you are a merciful God and I can never stop singing about this mercy that saved me from death.

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
Thank you that I can experience so many wonders.  I see it every day and every week, as I get to hear stories of the work you are doing in our midst.  What kind of blessing this is that I can see and recount what you are doing.   They are all wonders.

I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.
I desire to do your will. Please help me and give me the strength to carry it out.  I need your help.  My flesh and my evil desires are too strong for me.  I need you to help me have the right desires and to be on that path of carrying it through.

For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.
When I focus on sin, I cannot help but feel hopeless and sad, overwhelmed by my state.  However, there is hope in you.

Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.
You are my God.  There is no one else that I can turn to.  What can I do?  I need you every hour and every moment.  You are my deliverer… save me..

—
From Gracepoint Davis Church member

In what ways have you experienced v.2, v.3, v.5, v.8, v.12, v.17 to be true in your life?
V2: God lifted me out of the slimy pit – the depth of pit that I was in was in my first semester in college. It was the first time my experience that much freedom – all was within my ability and possibility to explore and try new things that I never did. I hit rock bottom when I found myself doing things I never had wanted to do, being in places I had never intended to be, becoming someone I could barely recognize and not knowing who I am anymore. It was a slimy pit because no matter how hard I try to climb out, I couldn’t – I kept on falling deeper and deeper. God lifted me out of the slimy pit when I finally paid attention to his words given at the Bible studies and Sunday services. His words became relevant and convicting that I knew I needed help to get out of this pit. Another pit that I was in was my own pit of sins and self-delusion. I couldn’t see my sinfulness clearly and I couldn’t see my need for Jesus – I felt a more lost and frustrated as I tried to figure God out on my own effort but couldn’t. God gave me his word that convicted my heart, He placed me in the family of God, in the context of covenantal relationship, through which I was able to see the depth of my own sinfulness and selfishness. He pulled me out of some of the strongholds in my life – sins of competitive spirits, selfishness or approval seeking, and He provided just timely words, messages, people, circumstances to allow me to grab hold of it and He pulled me out as I experienced spiritual breakthroughs. After He pulled me out of the slimy pit, he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand in my salvation through Jesus, and through his words and this church. A rock and a firm place to stand was my faith in Jesus. Even though I am a sinner through and through and God still have so much work to be done in my life, I can stand firm because I know that my righteousness comes from Jesus alone and there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Even though at times life’s difficulties and trials come, I can stand firm because I know that God is sovereign, He is ultimately in control and He is able to work through all things for the good of those who love him. He gives me a firm place to stand through time spent in his word and prayers, which brings renewal and refocus. He gives me this family of God, people whom I know and have known me for many years, through whom I can go through life together and spur one another on.

V3: He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to my God when I came to realize that I have a Creator, a loving heavenly Father who loves me so deeply. I am not an orphan who needs to provide for myself or strive hard to clutch onto temporal things in life. I sing praises to God when I see that my sins do not have the final word, that God is able to forgive through Jesus Christ and give me a brand new start each time I repent, that God still welcomes me home no matter how many times I stray away from him. I praise God as I learned that my life was created to be engaged in meaningful work – that God could use a sinner like me to be a blessing to others – this moves me to tears and fills my heart with much joy and praise. He gives me a new song in my heart as my life takes on new meaning, purpose and relationships. And many will see my transformed life and what God is able to do and hear my testimonies of His faithfulness, and they will put their trust in him. Many will hear about how God can convicts my heart or how truth prevails, and many will fear Him because He cannot be mocked.

V5: many are to wonders God has done – I see this truth, not only in creation and the work of His hand, but also in the lives of many people I have witnessed. Starting with the team sisters, some of whom I know since they were freshmen, but seeing how they’re co-laboring with me now, I am amazed and thankful. To see their hearts changed, becoming more interested in sharing the Gospel, reaching out to the students, running around for sports even though they hated sport, doing things that they normally wouldn’t do, seeing them dying to themselves, going out of their ways, stretching beyond the capacity, interceding earnestly for others in order to embrace the calling God has called them. This is a wonderful work that God has created in their lives this is a testimony of what God is able to do. And to look outward – to see all the churches in Gracepoint, all that God has been doing since the start of the new church plants or even this past semester/quarter, not only with a good turnout for our events but also hearing stories about how God has been preparing the hearts of those who have been coming out or how God has worked in the hearts of our current members. And not only in our churches, God has been at work since the beginning of history, working in and through the lives of those who listen and obey, and in other churches or through godly people. So many of the good works God has been doing, and I share the same sentiment as the Psalmist that if I were to count them, speak and tell of all that happens, even just within my life time, they would be too many to declare.

V8: I desire to do God’s will – this desire was not always there but the more I come to know God, the more I grow in my relationship with him, the more I desire to do things that are in line with His will. And there are still many more areas of my life that I don’t desire God’s will because I want to be the god of my own life, but this is my prayer and this is where I am striving forward to desire to do God’s will. I have truly experienced this in my life – before I became a Christian, I only desired to please myself and do whatever I wanted to do. I had no interest to find out what God wants, what God is like, what his heart is like or who He is. I only desired for personal gains – what blessings can I get from this church, what can God do for me, how can these friends be there for me, who can give me the recognition or approval that I wanted – many were my desires, and my life was dictated to do what I desired. But God gave me new purpose and meaning for life, and he has given me a new heart and put His law, His words, in my heart so that I can recognize and respond to what is true and good. Now I see that when I obey and do what God wants me to do, I am living the way I am meant to live, and that what God says good is good. I’ve experienced my desires have slowly changed to become more aligned with God’s.

V12: troubles without numbers around me and my sins overtake me – there were many times I felt like this when one sin after another, on-going strongholds, circumstances that did not go my way, difficulties and trials that keep dragging on and do not seem to get any better, storms of life that don’t seem to ever calm down, or when is hard to find bright spots in my life and troubles without number surround around me and the overwhelming sense of my sins overtake me. Times like this, when my heart fails within me, when I feel like I don’t know if I can take on another difficulty or another trial or another time of surrender, or another test of patience, or another leap of faith to take, or another dying of myself and letting go again. These are times of troubles that I can think of throughout my journey with God in personal life as well as in ministry. But this verse is surrounded by verses 11 and 13: “do not withhold your mercy from me”, “always protect me”, “be pleased to save me”, and “come quickly to help me”. It is God who has pulled me through those times. And it is this kind of prayers that I need to go back to again and again, esp. when trouble seems overwhelming and my heart begins to fails within me.

V17: I am poor and needy – this is the true condition that describes me even though a lot of times I desire for competence, security, self sufficiency, having everything that I need and my life being well provided for and protected, that I don’t feel needy and lacking. I experienced that I was poor and needy when I first began to recognize the empty void in my heart because of my broken relationship with God despite all that I had, experienced and enjoyed in life thus far. And this led me to seeking God that even though I was physically enriched, I was spiritually poor. I am poor and needy even as a Christian as I daily need God’s mercy and grace to live the kind of life that pleases God each day. I am bankrupt inside: even though I know what is good and true, many times I fail to do the good that I ought to do. I am poor because without God daily nourishment, I cannot survive spiritually – my own strength, competence, realization, experience or sheer will power cannot sustain me. I am poor spiritually because I did not know how to properly relate to God and others, and I need constant reminder and guidance to riches in relationships. I am needy and helpless as I see more and more of my limitation, inadequacies, and weaknesses as I get older, as I see God’s holiness more clearly and as I strive to daily obey God. God is my help and my deliver, esp. from my own self and my sins. Even though circumstances may not change, believing that God is my help and my deliver gives me strength to push forward. And I echo the same sentiment as the Psalmist that when I see my poverty and neediness clearly, my prayer and plea is “God please help me, come quickly and do not delay” and each time I experienced helped through His words, messages, peace that transcends understanding and regardless of circumstances and the people God placed in my life. And I experienced His deliverance as I am reminded again and again why I need a Savior and who Jesus is to me personally.

In David’s appeal, David first turns to God’s unfailing love. David appeals to God’s love – His care, his ability to watch over him, the kindness and protection that God has shown David over the years. David is appealing to God’s decision to love and bless David.

In examining this aspect of God’s character, one thing that strikes me is the fact that David calls God’s love unfailing. This is a very interesting word that is used to describe love. Growing up in our culture, love is one of those words that gets tossed around and used so often, and so often incorrectly, that it has, in many ways, lost the true power of its meaning. Love can now mean something that is fickle, dependent on circumstances and performance. Love can fade, disappear and change directions as quickly as it first arrives. But David is referencing another love – the love of God. David is establishing that God’s love is different; it is unfailing. God’s love is sure, God’s love is consistent, and God’s love wins out.

God’s love for David can handle the sins that David has committed. It’s not a love that is blind to the fact, but it is a love that remains in spite of the reality of David’s sin.

David also appeals to God’s great compassion. David is here recognizing that he deserves a penalty for his actions. David is recognizing that what he has done deserves punishment of some sort; wherein he should not get off without paying some sort of price. But despite the fact that David has done such a wrong, He is appealing to God’s compassion – the ability to suffer on behalf of. David understands fully that he has sinned against God first and foremost (v.4). Therefore, the wronged party, in order for there to be forgiveness, needs to absorb the blow of the wrong. David is asking God to suffer his wrong on his behalf. David is saying – Lord, I’ve sinned against you, but now I’m asking you to take that sin against yourself and look past it, for my sake.

Truly, as David understands his sin, as he understands why the thing he has done is such a great offense to God; the only way he can ask for mercy is to appeal to God’s unfailing love and His great compassion. It is only through love, and the willingness to suffer the offense on behalf of David could there be mercy in this situation.

How does my sense of the centrality of my sinfulness compare with the psalmist’s? What might account for the difference?
David’s understanding of the centrality of his sinfulness stands in quite stark contrast with mine. There are certainly times when I feel utterly defeated by my sin, by my offenses before God, and I certainly feel the weight of the transgression. There are times when these things are abundantly clear to me, and thus, I am able to come to God, appealing to His unfailing love and great compassion. But I’m not sure that I can honestly say that in those situation, that things are crystal clear in terms of my sense of the centrality of my sinfulness before God.

I believe there are two main reasons why there is this difference. The first and foremost reason would have to be the psalmist’s clear understanding of the Holiness of God. David is very clear to show that the Lord is pure and holy. Our sins, therefore, are wretchedly dark and obscene to the Lord. When we come before God in our sin, it is a blight before God’s holiness, and thus, the contrast between sinner and God is highlighted and that sense of sinfulness for David is highlighted. As we understand God’s holiness that much more, our understanding of our sinfulness increases.

The second reason, as related to the first, would also have to be the clear understanding of our sin. For David, there is no sugar coating going on. David understands and labels things correctly – his sin is evil and it is enough for God to be justified completely as he judges. David does not argue the fact that God has every right to remove him from his presence and take his Holy Spirit from David. David understands that sin has dire consequences that are real.

In this way, I find that these two areas are the key reasons why there is that difference in the sense of centrality of my sinfulness. I find that I do not often dwell upon the reality of God’s holiness. I sing the songs of praise, I understand and recognize God’s holiness, but do I actually live out my life as if God’s holiness were truly central to my understanding of life? I don’t think I do as much as I need to.

Additionally, I don’t think that I treat my sinfulness as seriously as David does; adding to the sense of difference in the centrality of sinfulness as compared against David. I find that I often will try to give a reason why things were how they were. “Yeah, I got mad, I lost my temper, but there was a reason why I got mad, have you taken that into account yet?” “Sure, I should not have done that, but I was feeling tired, it’s not right, but you understand what I’m getting at right?”

As I think about it, I am too well-versed in explaining my own sin away. But David here does not even attempt to do such a thing. He calls it as it really is – wicked, evil, needing to be washed. And there is that power in that understanding of sin. As he understands his sin and the true nature of that evil; as David understands the holiness of God, then the centrality of sin becomes far more deeply rooted. It is to this kind of degree of understanding that I am called to go back to, daily, as I confess my sin before the Lord.

Numbers 11:4-17

What can I learn about Moses’ relationship with the Israelites from this incident?

Moses deeply cared about the Israelites as evident in this prayer to God. He wasn’t simply carrying out some job. He didn’t have the mindset that this was just something he was “supposed” to do. As he expressed, he felt the burden for caring for them that a parent feels about the burden for caring their child. It was a burden that he felt very heavily. It was so heavy that he said it was getting too heavy for him and that he would rather die.

It says so much about Moses’ character that he chose to accept this burden in this way. He fully embraced his role. As Moses cries out in frustration, he “didn’t give birth to them.” Yet he finds himself thrust into this role of leading these obstinate, complaining rabble. He never asked to be appointed as their leader in the first place. For all these reasons, he could have very well detached himself from them and had the attitude “What’s wrong with them?! What ingrates they are after all I did for them. I am going to walk away from them!” And he very well could have walked away from the responsibility of caring for them and could have washed his hands clean of them. To his credit, even though he cries out to God how heavy the burden is, he doesn’t cease being their leader. He remains and continues to embrace his role that God assigned to him. That’s why he feels so burdened because he accepts it and doesn’t abdicate his role.

I am really challenged and inspired by Moses. Many times I feel sense of burden that feels quite heavy for me to bear but of course it’s nothing compared to what he’s going through. I cannot imagine what it would feel like to be in his shoes. Yet just as Moses full embraced the role that God assigned to him, I must bear whatever burdens and responsibilities that God assigns me. This was true of Moses, this was true of Paul, this is true of my spiritual leaders who bore that burden when I was a source of burden to them, and most of all this was true of Jesus. Jesus bore the full burden and weight of my sins and the world’s sins.

What can I learn from Moses’ prayer?

Similar to with Abraham, similar to Moses’ prayer in Exodus 32, Moses is not afraid to completely honest before God. He is so genuine and authentic in his prayer. He’s not some robot, super-leader. In his prayer, he is so honest before God. He doesn’t try to sound more spiritual than he is actually feeling. He doesn’t fake being more gracious, more patient, more stronger than he really is. He doesn’t say “After all these years, by now I should be ____.” At this point, Moses feels quite overwhelmed and understandably so. And he freely pours out his heart before God. Tying this back to the first question, to fully embrace the burdens God gives me doesn’t mean that I can’t be honest before God about how I feel. God invites me to come before Him with whatever is burdening me and weighing me down.

What can I learn about God from the way God responds to Moses’ prayer?

God doesn’t get angry at Moses. God doesn’t answer “What about me? The people are complaining and now you are complaining too!” God is actually very sympathetic towards what Moses is going through. There is no reproof, no anger, no condemnation in what God says. Instead God validates how Moses must be feeling by coming up with solution to help Moses from being overwhelmed. And God’s solution shows that He fully understood what Moses was going through. From God’s response to Moses, I am reminded that even though He is God almighty, Creator the universe, He is not distant and unsympathetic to my cries of weakness, to my needs. As incredible as it seems, God really understands what it’s like being in my shoes. And when I think about it, it shouldn’t be surprising that God would be like this. For Jesus came to earth, and incarnated among us to experience all that we go through e.g. our temptations, our weaknesses, our limitations, etc. What an amazing God I serve!

Romans 12:3-12

How can a person have “sober judgment” about himself, and what relationship does this have with the close community described in this passage? – We can have sober judgment about ourselves by receiving objective truth about ourselves which we ourselves are unable to see.  We are blind to many aspects of ourselves because we are simply unaware, and because we are reluctant to squarely face areas that are too unpleasant for us.  These objective truths must come from outside of us, from people who know us well.  This is where we need the close community.  We need people who have plenty of opportunities to observe objective truths about me.  We need people who can see my life over long period of time, observe my way of life, and communicate truth to us.  However, this must be done in the context of loving relationships.  Without it, because of the twistedness in us caused by sin, we can receive difficult truths as attacks on us even when it’s spoken out genuine concern.  We need to be assured that truth is being spoken to us because it really matters for our lives and for our relationships with others.  Also, without being in a close community, people can withhold truth from us.  Sometimes it’s not easy speaking truth to others because there is no guarantee that it will be received well.  In such situations, it would be tempting to withhold the full truth.  We need a close, loving community that cares enough to tell whole truth because it’s essential for close community.

Identify points of contrast between Genesis 4’s description of Cain and his descendants as a picture of life falling apart outside of God, and the picture presented here of the community made possible by the reversal of sin’s ravages.  – In Genesis 4, Cain and his descendants became more and more isolated, living life by self and for self.  It began with Cain’s jealousy and murderous thoughts towards his brother.  Then he became afraid of others that they might treat him the same way he treated his brother.  He physically retreated and isolated himself when he built a city to protect himself.  His descendants sought significance and meaning in life through their own accomplishments.  In such a way of life, any situation where others can potentially make demands on us becomes a threat.  Any time we have to divert resources from ourselves to someone else, we become unsettled.  It’s a life of continuous anxiety.  In the course of such life, even the ‘joy’ that people experience is so isolated and alone, and that is no joy, for it cannot be shared with anyone else.  In the community of faith, where relationships matter a lot, a reversal is possible.  Because we are one body and each member belongs to all the others, we cannot disregard others in our decisions and actions.  The moment we cut off ourselves from others, we see detrimental effects on the health and strength of the body.  If we pursue our own agenda, that’s terribly deflating for others who want to build this community up to what it was supposed to be.  What we do inevitably affects the rest of the body, since we are connected.  In this community, as we allow the needs of others to make demands on us, we can begin to chip away at this isolated life.  We begin to taste the fulfillment of serving others, the joy of being a blessing to them in some way.  We also begin to experience the freedom that comes with releasing the grip on our lives.  However, for me to experience this reversal, I must battle the Cain within me, which says, “Do what you have to do, but save a part of yourself for yourself, pace yourself.” These are words that lead to no benefit for anybody – walls go up around me, and there is no connection with others, no life.   I must uproot the Cain in me by affirming and embracing my role in this community.  I must commit to respond to the needs by making sure I give my fully, as described by these words in verse 8 – generously, diligently, cheerfully.

Submitted by Jeannie Lee, Gracepoint Berkeley:

Romans 12:4-5 (Friday’s DT)

⁴ Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

One of the things that hit me from this week was from Romans 12:4-5, verses I had memorized years ago in Survival Kit 1.  The thing that always challenges me about these verses is the phrase, “each member belongs to all the others.” Each time I read these verses, I have to pause and think about how much am I living these verses out.  We live in a close-knit community and are often praised for how close we are, how we are actively trying to live out the Acts 2 fellowship; our fellowships are named a2f and Koinonia (greek for fellowship). If each member belongs to all the others, that means I belong to my brothers and sisters, including my time, my energy, my house, my children, and that they belong to me, meaning I’d better know what their needs are, and I’d better be owning them. I had to examine myself to see how much I actually take ownership over and also how much I allow others to take ownership over my life, and commit once again to personally own my younger brothers and sisters, not to be afraid of speaking the truth in love, not being afraid to bring up uncomfortable issues if need be, not being afraid to impose myself on them, whether it be for a meal, or to talk, or to impose myself to be a listening ear, to probe more deeply when necessary; there are many ways others can belong to me and I can belong to others.

Another point that stuck out to me this week was Tuesday’s DT on Matthew and Ephesians.  One of the questions was, “What is the foundation of the church, according to the Matthew and Ephesians passages?” And my answer was, the confession of the saints that Jesus is Savior and Lord, those who gather in the name of Jesus, and the foundation of the apostles and prophets.  The Ephesians 4 passage also ended with, “¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” I thought about each person’s role in the building up of the church, how each part needs to strive to attain to unity in the faith, in the knowledge of the Son of God, and to continually grow, so that the body would be a living vibrant active community of faith.  I see so many people who tragically are stuck in a “little old me” mentality, thinking that, “What can I do anyway,” “I can’t contribute much,” or “I’m not needed,” “No one will even notice if I’m not there,” when it clearly says, each part needs to do its work, and that we are all members of God’s household! And that we are being built together, to achieve unity and to grow together! What an amazing picture! There is no time or room to remain in insecurity or to have a “little old me” complex. We need to be the church that advances upon the gates of Hades! I committed again through these passages and DTs to be someone who helps to hold together the body, and to look for ways to build it up, rather than to be disjointed and remain in unfruitful isolated thoughts.

Read the assigned passage for the day and answer the reflection question(s) provided.  There are no memory verses. Click here to download the DT packet.

Daily Devotion Plan

Monday                     12/6               John 1:1-18
Tuesday                     12/7               1 John 1
Wednesday               12/8               John 1:1-18 & 1 John 1
Thursday                   12/9               Genesis 1
Friday                         12/10             Genesis 2:1-17
Saturday                    12/11              Genesis 3:1-13
Sunday                       12/12              Genesis 3:14-24

Monday                     12/13               Romans 1:21-28
Tuesday                     12/14               Romans 3:9-31
Wednesday               12/15               Isaiah 59
Thursday                   12/16               Isaiah 9:1-7
Friday                         12/17               Isaiah 40:1-11
Saturday                    12/18               Isaiah 42:1-9
Sunday                       12/19               Micah 5:1-5; Malachi 3:1-4; Malachi 4:4-6

Monday                     12/20               Luke 1:1-18
Tuesday                     12/21                Luke 1:26-38
Wednesday               12/22               Luke 1:46-56
Thursday                   12/23               Luke 1:57-80
Friday                         12/24              Luke 2:1-20
Saturday                    12/25               Luke 2:1-20
Sunday                       12/26              Philippians 2:1-11

Monday                     12/27               John 10:1-18
Tuesday                     12/28               John 12:20-33
Wednesday               12/29               John 21:15-24
Thursday                   12/30              John 20:19-23; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8
Friday                         12/31              Isaiah 11:1-10

Happy New Year!

vv. 17-18 – What did the Apostle Paul pray for the Ephesians?
• that they might be given the Spirit of wisdom and revelation
• that the eyes of their heart may be enlightened

What should the eyes of their heart being enlightened lead to?
knowledge of:

• the hope to which he has called me
• the riches of the inheritance I have in the saints
• God’s incomparably great power

What would characterize a life where the eyes of the heart are not enlightened or remain darkened?
• hopelessness
• feeling impoverished
• feeling weak or a lack of power / strength

Application:  Are the eyes of my heart enlightened or darkened? There are many times when the eyes of my heart remain darkened or I have a tunnel vision, focused on myself and my own abilities or lack thereof, and so as I look at myself as a minister of the Gospel, I feel inadequate, I feel a sense of lack and I lack the resources to make things happen.  I lack the power to change myself and those around me; I feel hopeless about my circumstances and about the depravity and brokenness in the world.  I feel my weaknesses very acutely, even as I try to serve God.  In that way, the eyes of my heart are darkened.

• On the other hand, I have also experienced the eyes of my heart being enlightened, as I lift them up to see GOD, and Him at work, and all that HE is doing in and around me, the ways that He answers my prayers for the church plant team jobs or housing needs, the way that He’s working in our Interhigh ministry, the way that He’s gathering Impact students for us to minister to, the ways that He’s expanding our hearts and sphere of concern to embrace the elderly, the needy, children.  Then I experience His incomparable power to change the world through the Gospel, and I experience the riches of my inheritance in the saints, as we all work together towards a common cosmic goal, and I experience a hope beyond the brokenness of this world, the hope He has called me to and that I can now help to call others to as well.
• Lord, please open the eyes of my heart so that I can see beyond myself to all that You are doing, so that I can experience the spiritual blessing You have in store for me.  Thank you for blessing me so richly and undeservedly.

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Submitted by Phil Choi, Gracepoint Hsinchu

Apostle Paul prays that the Ephesians would know God better, specifically regarding these 3 things in v.18:

1.      To know the hope to which he has called us

2.      The riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints

3.      His incomparably great power for us who believe

Throughout this section Apostle Paul uses lofty words, describing God as “the glorious Father,” and wants the Ephesians to know “the riches of his glorious inheritance” and his “incomparably great power.” One thing that is clear is that Apostle Paul’s view of God is elevated and full of amazement. To Paul, God is not small or one-dimensional. Rather, God is big, colorful, dynamic, and worthy of such lofty words, and it’s this God that Apostle Paul desperately wants the Ephesian church to know.

What allowed Apostle Paul to know God is this kind of way? I believe it was through his personal experiences in life. In 2 Corinthians 11 he lists many of the things he had to suffer because of the Gospel, and while some people might take pity on him for those things, Paul has no such self-pity. Instead, he boasts about his sufferings because through suffering he experienced God in a deeper, more personal way. The more he suffered, the more God became real to him, and that is why he is able to use such words to describe God. You do not get the sense that he is using “Christian jargon” to describe God. Instead, these are personal descriptions of God based on personal experience. I realize that its through obedience and personal suffering that God becomes more real and personal. It’s true of any relationship; the more you go through difficulties with a person, the more intimate your knowledge of that person becomes.

I realize that this true for me as well because it was through times of personal struggle and learning to sacrifice that I came to know God in a deeper, more intimate way. Before coming to Taiwan, I had a lot of time to think about my memories of Davis the past 11 years and all the ways God has led me, and one characteristic of God that is more real now than before is God as my Redeemer. There were times in the past when I felt so hopeless against my sin, and I had a lot of regret because of things I had done. And while I could not see then how God could ever make good out of that, somehow by His grace He has turned those things in memories by which I can actually give thanks to God for. One way He has redeemed my sin is by giving me a more sensitive heart and a fear of sin that makes me more humble and on guard. But another way is by giving me a more compassionate heart towards others who struggle with their own sin. And now when I view the students under me, I see them through a completely different lens than before. I see people bound by their sins, and whether they know it or not, it’s destroying them. And my heart goes out to them because I know what it’s like to be in that position. And that’s what fuels my heart with passion to do ministry, because as I have been saved by God’s grace, now I need to help rescue others. I am able to share Paul’s excitement because I have experienced God as my Redeemer, to be personally true.  So I can share with others that God is truly my Redeemer with a lot more conviction.