Scripture of the Month

 

October, 2001

 

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” Luke 17:6

 

In one occasion, Jesus taught His disciples not to be a stumbling block for others. We can hinder people from following Christ in many ways: by what we say or how we live. When we open Luke 17, we are faced with a clear, yet stern warning: Don’t be a stumbling block! “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come . . .” (v.1) The word “sin” is not the usual word we often see in the Bible. The Greek word here means “stumbling block.” Jesus is saying that people are bound to fall into temptation and suffer sin’s consequences, but he who causes such a person to fall by setting up the trap is in big trouble. It would be better for the one who sets the trap to be buried under a deep ocean. Jesus wasn’t suggesting suicide as a way to express remorse. In literature, this is called “hyperbole,” a style of writing used to make a point stands out, but should not be understood literally.

 

What does forgiveness have to do with stumbling block? On one level, unforgiving potentiates the possibility of a brother continuing a sense of guilt. More importantly, forgiveness releases the person to God’s grace and frees ourselves to live without grudges. By releasing those who offended us, we release ourselves from the bitterness and anger that could easily cause our lives into stumbling blocks to others. So, Jesus said, “watch yourselves.”

 

When a brother is clearly in the wrong, rebuke comes easy, but forgiveness is not. Our forgiveness provides a savor of Christ’s forgiveness. But to do that seven times in a single day? Now, that takes more than love, it takes faith! No wonder the disciples said, “Increase our faith!” Then Jesus taught them that it is not the “amount” of faith, but the “object” of our faith that matters. It is well said by a Bible commentator, “It is not so much great faith in God that is required as faith in a great God.” If we have just “little” faith, as tiny as a mustard seed, in a great God, we can accomplish great things because it is not our faith that overcomes, but the God whom we have faith in. Jesus again used a “hyperbole” illustration to indicate the significant effect of having faith in a great God. Things that seemed impossible may turn into reality only if we direct our faith to the right “object,” who is an omnipotent God.

Scripture of the Month

 

November, 2004

 

“For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”--II Peter 1:8

 

The Apostle Peter wrote two letters to the churches located in Asia Minor to remind the believers that the grace of God can sustain them during trials of many kinds. The first letter centered on external persecutions, while the second epistle centered on internal defections. However, both cause sufferings to believers. It’s worth our while to remember one of Luther’s famous terms: Sola Gracia! (Grace Alone!) The purpose of this letter is to call Christians to spiritual growth so that they may be equipped to combat apostasy on the one hand and look forward to the Lord’s coming on the other.

 

After a brief greeting, Peter went to the heart of the letter. Through the grace of God, His divine power has given believers everything needed for life and godliness. It is through the precious promises, we, as Christians, should participate with God to develop characters that would help us to escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desire (vs.3-4). We need to remember that it is up to us to allow the power of God to work within us so that we can develop a godly character.

 

Peter systematically laid out for us seven Christian characters: Faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (in general). This “symphony” starts with faith towards God and ends with love towards men. Building on the foundation of having faith in the right object, who is Christ, believers grow to exhibit the divine nature by supplying these seven qualities that climax in love toward others (vs. 5-7).

 

After challenging believers to develop the Christian characters, Peter proceeded to give the reason for this endeavor: to make their knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ effective and productive. Peter pointed out a very important truth—our knowledge of the Lord can be ineffective and unproductive. If we don’t cultivate the life of Christ within, our knowledge becomes intellectual facts, and becomes ineffective in helping us to stand firm against trials, and unproductive in helping others when they are in crisis. The final illustration in this passage is that those who possess only knowledge without characters are near-sighted at best and blind at worse. These people have forgotten the most important experience of their lives—sins forgiven by the grace of God. Let us not be one of them!

Scripture of the Month

 

November, 2003

 

“‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” II Cor. 12:9

 

Have you ever had the experience of God being so distant when you needed Him most? You prayed, but wondered whether God cared to listen or maybe He was too busy attending other “more important” businesses. As for the Apostle Paul, he had a “thorn in his flesh” that he wanted God to remove. He was able to identify that it came from Satan, not God, to cause pain, discomfort, and inconvenience. He labeled it as a “weakness,” which indicated that to him, his ministries would be much more effective without the “thorn.”

 

Much was speculated about his “thorn.” They ranged from incessant temptation, zealous opponents, and chronic physical handicap, such as poor eyesight, migraine headache, or epilepsy. No one can say for sure what it was. But in the final analysis, it didn’t really matter what it was because God decided to let him go through his entire life with the “thorn” sticking out.

 

I can only imagine that he must have been troubled in the beginning by the way God answered his prayers or maybe not answered his request to remove this annoying “thorn in my flesh.” Many people said that it was good for Paul that God didn’t remove his thorn, because he received something far better—God’s Grace! My comment is, “It is easy for them to say!” They don’t have what he had. If you ask me, I would rather receive God’s grace to remove the thorn than not! It took a tremendous amount of submission and faith for Paul to finally accept God’s answer. For us to develop a sense of complete trust in God and rest easy on His power in us and through us is a paradigm shift.

 

What can we learn from this experience of Paul? First, as many of you are getting involved in God’s ministries, remember you don’t need to be perfect; you only need to have a positive attitude of submission, because in your imperfection, God will make it work. Second, focus on the power of God, not your weakness or strength, for that matter. It is the power of God through your effort that we will see the splendid of God’s plan. Third, whenever you feel inadequate, remember God’s grace is sufficient, which in its original meaning has the meaning of “adequate in the sense of providing contentment.”

Scripture of the Month

 

November, 2002

 

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

Some biblical scholars called these three verses as “the standing orders of the church.” Paul wrote these “orders” to the church in Thessalonica to remind the Christians to be joyful, to pray, and to give thanks at all times. Interestingly, Paul chose to write this in an imperative mood—a command.

 

“Be joyful always.” There is a significant difference between “happy” and “joyful.” I am not happy if I get sick and can’t do what I want to do. But I can still be a joyful person because my life philosophy is based on more than my health. In life, we can’t always be happy, but since we are satisfied with what God is doing, we can always find reasons to be joyful. Since our lives are tucked in Jesus Christ and the reality of God’s love is experienced, with His grace, we can handle losses—a game, a job, health, or even a life.

 

“Pray continually.” Let us be realistic. Paul had no intention for us to put everything on hold and pray twenty-four hours a day. One bible commentator clarified this point. He wrote, “It is not the moving of the lips, but in the elevation of the heart to God, that the essence of prayer consists.” Here, Paul wasn’t telling us to say “prayers” continually; he was telling us to lift our hearts to God at all times—good, as well as the bad. Knowing the distinction, we can apply this verse by living with a growing awareness that God is always present in our lives.

 

“Give thanks in all circumstances.” It seems to be quite impossible to put this verse into practice. How can we give thanks to God in everything that happens? Many circumstances are direct consequences of either our own sins or evil deeds of others. How can we thank God for the innocent lives that were taken by the sniper in the East Coast? We can’t. But while we may not be able to give thanks for all the things that may happen, yet we can give thanks in everything because we have confidence that God is always present and is always at work for good, though we may not understand how.

 

To be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances “is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Obedience to these three commands is not easy. But Christ does want us to live a life of joy, prayer, and gratitude. Though a command, yet it’s our choice. It is for our own good that we choose to oblige.

Scripture of the Month

 

November, 2001

 

“Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.” Luke 21:8

 

On one occasion, Jesus and His disciples were in the temple courts preaching the gospel (Luke 20:1). His disciples made remarks about the beauty of the temple and the dedication of worshippers by the gifts they brought to the temple. But Jesus told them a day will come when the beautiful temple will be completely demolished.

 

Out of curiosity, the disciples asked Jesus two questions: When and what will be the signs of the day? Jesus didn’t give an explicit answer to the first question here, but in other occasion, Jesus told them, “No one knows about that day or hour.” (Matt. 24:36) As far as signs of the day, there will be plenty. For the rest of Luke 21, Jesus gave an overview of the signs of End Time, which include religious persecution, interpersonal conflict, intra-national and international frictions, and cosmic disasters.

 

Since the recent developments with the wars against terrorism, there is a tremendous increase in the interest of End Time. Instead of studying the signs, which is not unimportant, it is more important to know how we should prepare for a time like this. “Watch out! Look out! Beware!” This is written in a command form. Watch out so that you would not be lead astray, deceived, fooled, or make a wrong decision. What was the number one concern on Jesus’ mind about us? That we would follow the wrong leaders who give us wrong interpretation and application of the sign. Anyone who uses End Time messages to persuade followers to give devotion to the leader instead of Christ is to be rejected. How would people come in Jesus’ name and claim to be the Messiah? Nobody would follow a leader unless he is full of charisma and perhaps has supernatural power to perform extraordinary things. When they say, “The time is near,” it isn’t an error in itself, but the implication is wrong in such a way that they panic and thereby follow a person with charisma instead of anticipating Christ Himself. We need to realize if it weren’t easy for us to fall into this trap, Jesus wouldn’t have told us to watch out. Finally, Jesus told us not to allow our hearts to be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and anxiety. Instead, be on the alert and pray.

Scripture of the Month

 

November, 2000

 

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

Immediately following his description of the full armor of God, Paul now turns to his favorite subject—prayer. Many Bible teachers treat prayers as part of Christian’s armor (it may be so from other texts), but from this context, Paul didn’t propose prayer to be any piece of the soldier’s defensive or offensive equipment. Therefore, we should read this as two separate units, both vital for being "strong" in the Lord (v.10). Having put on the full armor of God, Christians should also be praying in the Spirit on all occasions.

 

"Pray in the Spirit on all occasions" emphasizes the importance of prayer in the lives of Christians. Far too often, we take our difficulties to our friends rather than to God. In order to be "strong" in the Lord, we need to build a healthy prayer life. "Pray in the Spirit" refers to having the Holy Spirit on our side who intercedes while we pray. We won’t be able to pray effectively if we do so in our strength and under the guidance of our wisdom and verbiage. It is God who enables us to pray powerfully by giving us the Spirit, and this is an important part of the Christian life. Prayer should also be consistent. In order to be "strong" in the Lord, we cannot consider prayer as an occasional activity (whenever need arrives), but it should be done constantly. We are also instructed to "be alert and always keep on," which means not drifting into prayer by accident. There is no such thing as seasonal prayer life!

 

Now that we know the channel (in the Spirit) and the timing (on all occasion), we also want to learn that there is no specific way to pray. Whether it’s a "prayer" or a "request," God will receive and accept. Throughout this epistle, Paul had demonstrated his prayer life. Careful study of this book will allow us to see the kind of prayer warrior that was in Paul. One final instruction about prayer in this verse is that healthy prayer life is "others" focus. Be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Christians are bound together in unity by intercession for one another. One Bible commentator wrote, "No soldier entering battle prays for himself alone, but for all his fellow-soldiers also. They form one army, and the success of one is the success of all." How true it is!

 

We have gone through the entire epistle of Ephesians in the past eleven months. I hope this has been beneficial to you.

Scripture of the Month

 

May, 2004

 

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.”-I Peter 3:8

We studied who we are—a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God—last month. In the same verse, we are reminded that our primary goal is to declare the praises of Him who delivered us out of darkness into the marvelous light. Peter continued to show us that the best way to declare the praises of God is to live a good life among pagans, so that they may glorify God when they see our good deeds.

 

Good deed includes, but not limited to, being submissive to every authority instituted among men ( 2:13 ). To be law-abiding citizens is a duty of Christians. It was difficult for the Christians in the first century to follow this instruction because they were severely persecuted by the Roman government. It is just as difficult for us today to live in a society that is blatantly against biblical principles. We can certainly voice our opinion, but it must be done within the legislating boundaries. We can criticize others for not keeping the laws while we do the same, only that we do it in the name of God, which I believe is even worse. We must have faith that God is the God of history.

 

Then Peter gave a “household code” for slaves, wives, and husbands that was similar to Paul’s instruction, except Peter further explained that Christ suffered for our sake was an example for us to follow ( 2:21 ). Peter asked slaves and wives to submit to their masters, and husbands should not be misled to think that God ordained a slavery system and favored a male-chauvinistic society. He simply addressed to the culture of time. Peter also asked husbands to be considerate to their wives, which in itself was noble, because wives at that time were only treated as properties, not people with value.

 

After telling Christians to be submissive under the authorities of the society and how to live as family members, Peter now turned his attention to good living within the church. Finally, all of you—all who would hear the reading of his letter, live in harmony (to be like-minded), be sympathetic (put yourself in someone else’s shoe), love as brothers (care that leads to action), compassionate (more intense than just having sympathy), and humble (not having the urge to show-off). These are Christian characters to be formed, not a “do” list. If all the members of a church have these characters, it will be healthy church.

Scripture of the Month

 

May, 2003

 

“. . . For my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Isaiah 56:7

 

When God chose the Jews to be His Chosen People, it is easy to misunderstand God’s exclusivism. But careful reading of both the Old and New Testaments leads us to realize that it has always been God’s desire to have all nations come together to worship Him. He chose the Israelites to proclaim His greatness to the nations, but they failed. Now, this important mission is on the shoulder of His chosen—the Church.

 

Isaiah, a pre-exilic prophet, certainly understood God’s desire. The house of God is open to everyone who wants to be filled, because all have the same need, all are equal, and all are welcome. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the water; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost” (55:1) God made it crystal clear that no one will be excluded from the house of the Lord. Even the undeserved foreigner—those who used to worship false gods—and the eunuch—those who were considered to be worthless by many—were offer a seat in God’s house (56:3). The partition between people and God had tumbled down. All are welcome, but the inclusiveness doesn’t mean that all will be saved; only those who hold fast to God’s covenant, to love, to worship, and to serve God will be given an everlasting name (56:4-6). A personal decision is involved.

 

There is a progression in verse 7: all the people who have made a personal devotion to Yahweh will be welcomed to the place where the Lord is found (the holy mountain), into His presence and family (my house of prayer), and to participate in the services which guarantee acceptance and fellowship (my altar). The concluding thought of this passage is, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. It has always been God’s heartbeat for us to enjoy communication with Him; therefore, all our activities should be built upon His desire. Praying is not an obligation, but an enjoyment in God’s presence, and through it, we’ll come to know better of His Will.

 

What does this passage have to do with Missions? It has everything to do with Missions. Through this, God allows us to see His Will in inviting everyone to have fellowship with Him, and He has given us the mission to carry out His desire. So, let us involve in Missions with a pure motive—to please Him. God wants His house to be called a house of prayer for all nations. Let our church be one of the houses of prayer, and let our praying be spontaneous. Let us understand that praying is not the last option, but the first priority.

Scripture of the Month

 

May, 2002

 

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.” John 10:9

 

To truly understand what Jesus was saying in John 10 (I am the gate and I am the Good Shepherd), we need to know the timing of the incident and its historical background. It was during the Festival of Dedication when Jesus spoke of this discourse. His conflict with the Jewish religious leadership had reached its peak. He had stopped publicly debating with the Jews again after this. It was a custom during the Festival of Dedication to read aloud Ezekiel 34 in which false priests were described as false shepherds. When He made the comparison to the false shepherds, Jesus wanted His listeners to interpret His mission: He is the only gate who gives life and the only True Shepherd who lays down His own life for the sheep.

 

“I am the gate.” When we think of gate, we think of a closure made of either wood or iron. But in many of the ancient sheepfolds, especially those in the wilderness, away from the city, they were built without a real gate. There was just a small opening wide enough to have the sheep go in and out. When the shepherd stood across the opening, he became the door, and the sheep had to go through him to enter the sheepfold.

 

By saying that He is the gate, Jesus was affirming that pasture or salvation comes through Him. Jesus is the gate first, then the Shepherd. We don’t want to overlook this important truth. Jesus didn’t say He is the gatekeeper. He isn’t someone who just guards the entrance of heaven. He is the entrance of heaven! Anyone who enters through the gate (Jesus) will be saved, or “kept safe.”

 

The assurance of being kept safe is the first step of having an abundant life. “He (a sheep) will come in and go out, and find pasture.” Sheepfolds were usually around places where water was available. When there was water, there would be pasture. This is an illustration of the kind of life one may have when he goes through the gate (Jesus), who further promised “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (v.10b) Far too often, we tried to find our own ways to get satisfaction in life, but we came up empty. The reason is that we can never feel “safe” apart from God. Our physical life is fragile—we deteriorate faster than we would like. Our self-image is bristle—we are conscientious about how others look at or talk about us. Our worldly possession is limited—for most of us, we don’t have “enough” to feel secure. We know it doesn’t provide eternal security. Abundant, satisfactory, or meaningful life can only be realized by coming in and going out through Jesus Christ our Gate.

Scripture of the Month

 

May, 2001

 

"No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62

Last month’s Scripture relates to being a disciple; and this month’s scripture focuses on serving as a disciple. This verse has been misunderstood and therefore misquoted by many Christians. The word "the service" isn’t in the original Greek text. Therefore, it is easily misunderstood that the one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not "fit" in the kingdom of God (to be saved). That is far from the Truth! Not one is "fit" to be saved. It is absolutely the grace of God that you and I are saved. The word "fit" means to be willing and able to perform certain tasks. In this case, it refers to the service of a disciple in the kingdom of God. For this reason, NIV inserted the word "the service" so as to clarify this point. The meaning of the word "fit" and the context itself demand this interpretation. Good exegesis results in good theology, and good theology personifies good applications.

 

In order to fully understand this verse, we need to see the whole picture, which started from v.57. As Jesus and His disciples were traveling, a man approached them and wanted to follow Jesus, wherever He would go. Jesus turned him down by saying the path was too difficult for him to handle. In other words, Jesus knew this man wasn’t able. Not being able to perform certain tasks in the kingdom of God shouldn’t be understood as any less Christian than others who had the ability.

 

God would not ask you to do anything unless He knows you’re able. Let’s continue to look at this story. Then Jesus looked at another man near by and invited him to follow. But this man flatly turned it down by giving Jesus a seemingly good excuse—to go and bury his father, who may not even had been dead yet. For this person, the affairs of family had a higher priority than the affairs of God. The point here is that if you are able, you shouldn’t be distracted by lesser loyalties.

 

The third person is kind of interesting. Jesus didn’t ask him to follow. He took the initiative, but with reservation. "I would like to do it, but . . ." He wanted to; he knew it was a good thing. He also saw he was able, but he wanted to delay for better timing. Then Jesus said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit {for service} in the kingdom of God." The conclusion is that if you are able and willing, there is no reason to delay. Just like a soldier who is in a battlefield, he can’t be distracted by anything, including his family.