Inhuman

Spoiler Alert: I am not talking about Marvel Inhumans in any way. (Spoiler Alert II: I may in the future though)

 

Acts 1:3 During the forty days after [Jesus] suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.

 

Joey has challenged me to blog my devotion again. So here it is.

 

Acts 1 is quite interesting. It reminded me that it was Dr Luke and not Apostle Paul who wrote this book. And that it’s written to an individual named Theophilus, not written to the early church. A common Aaron misconception.

This particular verse got me thinking 1. This really is Jesus who came back from the dead. Before Jesus died (you can find His story in the book of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John), you can’t stop Him from talking about the Kingdom of God / Kingdom of Heaven. And now that He’s back from the dead, what do you find Him talking about? The Kingdom of God. Yup, it’s Jesus alright.

But from that thought came this pretty opposing question: don’t people who come back from the dead become quite different people? At least that’s what I’ve learned from years of tv and movies. You’ve got to change after experiencing the horror of death and the grace of life. Also your perception of life and limited time will definitely change certain characters and attitudes you have. And I have read that when people have died and come back to life,  even for a few seconds, most of them do remember some sort of otherworldly experience. That’s gotta change you somehow. Yet, Jesus didn’t change. My conclusion is, either He didn’t die. Or 2. He’s was God. Being God means He’s had the right perspective from the start. It wasn’t new to Him, nor it didn’t change His plan, nor did it shake His faith.

This again sparked another thought that 3. The Kingdom of God must be something worth understanding if you can’t shut Jesus up about it. I don’t know about you, but the Kingdom of God is not something that is easy for me to understand. I’m still learning, and I hope to know more and more each day. For now, I do know it is about God’s original plan for us to be in God’s house and in His presence, worshiping and being in His path and His plans. And being Kingdom minded is to be like Jesus. Always doing things for the benefit of God, and always loving people from God’s perspective, and doing everything written in the bible to be an effective and powerful Christian. No pressure. I’m pretty sure that’s why Jesus kept talking about it. Because it’s hard to understand (since it’s against our natural mindset), and it’s hard to do (so He had to be the living human example).

 

 

This Kingdom mindset concept has been in my mind these few weeks. I have to say, really having a Kingdom mindset means changing everything about ourselves. We will technically be superhuman. Do comment and let me know what you think about this.

 

 

Acts 1 is so interesting even at the first 3 verses. I hope to share my thoughts more often.

Lost Ox

Deuteronomy 22:1

If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep or goat wandering away, don’t ignore your responsibility. Take it back to its owner.

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Seems like a perfectly normal bible verse. Or even a religious ‘moral’. Being charitable and helpful is just a noble thing. But what caught my attention is ‘Don’t ignore your responsibility’.

In other versions ‘Don’t ignore it’ and ‘Don’t hide yourself’.

That’s a lot more than just being helpful isn’t it? We’ve heard of the slogan ‘With great power comes great responsibility’. But we haven’t heard ‘Upon seeing a need, comes great responsibility’.

Don’t ignore someone in need. Don’t hide yourself.

You may be the only person at that time who could help in that way. You may be the only person who saw or will ever see that specific need.

Help. Care. Act. It is our responsibility.

Acts 16:25-34

Freedom!

 

It was before midnight when I did my third round of checks. I made sure all doors are locked, no suspicious activities, and all the prisoners are accounted for. All was in order, except maybe a prisoner who was biting at his cell bars. But that was neither suspicious nor uncommon. Time to get back to my post at the gate. As I was walking the corridors, I heard singing. Again, not suspicious. Just like me, convicts do live a human life. They get happy and sad. They did grow as a kid, play, love, and they do feel disappointment. And most importantly, they have issues in life that they haven’t dealt with, which mostly are the main reasons why they end up here. But the more I spend time with these imbeciles, the more I realize that I’m an imbecile too. I have stuff I have not dealt with that are still problem in my life. Just that I’m lucky I haven’t been caught yet. Not like I’m some sort of sick criminal, I love holding up justice. It’s just that if you dig deep into the root of the problem, you will find that I’m not less of a sinner than they are. I’m not less trapped and less in trouble than they are. We can see eye to eye and they will probably be able to see through this mask I’ve been constructing. The singing got louder. Also not suspicious. However, something about it was uncommon. Was it the tune it was being carried in? Was it the joy that can be felt in the strength of which it was sung? Or was it the silence in which all the other prisoners made. Listening to the sweet sound of Hope. Yes. It was the Hope and the Joy in which it was sung that was uncommon, bouncing off the walls of my jurisdiction. I too felt lifted slightly. I recognize from which cell the radiation was coming from. How could Paul and Silas be joyful in hope? They, the most unfairly treated. Ones who has given up all to benefit our society. What is it that they found which could cause them to sing in joy and freedom? A real joy from within, not a happiness from without. What was the secret to being joyful in freedom, even in chains? That sounded like a crazy question. Well, whatever it was, I was glad. Today has been a good day. No housekeeping issues. Good prisoner peace, compared to the rowdiness and general unhappiness found here. I think I deserve a nap. Just a short one.

I felt the ground drop from under me and then it came rushing up again, then I heard a loud crash. Sounded like my keys. I must’ve had a long nap, I opened my eyes, rubbed them, and saw my keys on the ground. Another nightmare of falling, I thought, but brought to another level. I reached down to pick my keys up when the ground dropped from my feet again. Okay, not a dream. I lost balance and the ground came up to meet head first. But before I could recover, it happened again, and again. I couldn’t keep my balance. Or my wits. I saw the table topple, and a wall rip open. Then I closed my eyes and covered my head in fear that the roof may cave in. The earth tossed everything around for a few good minutes. Then it stopped. Just as suddenly as it came. With weak legs I stood, and saw all the jail cells open. This was bad. My first thought was “maintain prisoners safety and detention!” No prisoner will stay inside when the bars are open. My duty has failed. I was not able to stop freeing men who need to be punished for their crime. Head warden will not be happy. Nor will my superiors. My life is end here. I will not allow my life and my family’s to be humiliated. No, my family will only escape if I am part of the casualties. I knew what that means. My trusty sword was always at my side. Smoothly, my blade was unsheathed. It was a comfortable action. One that I’ve trained myself for for battle. It did not take long for me to accept my fate and point my blade right below my rib cage.

I prayed for heaven to accept me when I heard a shout “Do not harm yourself! We are all here!” It was Paul. How could this be? How could he, the most unfairly treated by my peers and my people, want me to be spared? Suddenly, I remembered what they have been preaching before they were caught. Suddenly, I remembered what they were singing when they were caught. And suddenly, I understood what Paul was trying to bring to me right now. Freedom! While Paul and Silas were in prison, there were free; while I was their warden, I was bound. I ran, yes I ran, trembling, and bowed before them. They did not accept my worship for it was not them who saves. I needed to know, so in exchange, I thought I would risk my life by letting them go. Outside, I asked “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

Believe. It was so simple that I was shocked. Inside of me, something sparked. It was a beautiful spark. One of joy, peace, revelation, release, and a passion to see others come to know this freedom within. That day, I brought Paul and Silas to my family to teach. Then, while I was washing the wounds of the apostles, the Spirit came down upon my household and baptized us. They all believed in God and we had a meal to celebrate. I was filled with joy, and finally I understood this joy that the apostles had while they were chained.

 

That’s my story. What’s yours?

 

Acts 13 & 14

Mission Training

 

hey all i know its been awhile since i updated.

hehe.

some stuff went wrong.

and now situation is even better than before. so it’s all cool.

 

anyways,

before i go into my devotion, i need to give you an aaron version summary of Acts 13 & 14.

(since some of my loved ones always complain that i write too much)

 

here’s what i understand happened:

God, through the Holy Spirit, asked the church to let Paul and Barnabas go. At that moment of time, Paul and Barnabas was going around the early churches encouraging them and helping the church to grow. And that was right after persecution of the church, so i can imagine that they were actually needed.

In Acts 13:2, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Which i think just means “find other people to do what Barnabas and Saul are doing now, i need them for other stuff”.

And so Paul and Barnabas set off. Their mission, to make Jesus known. Their guide, The Holy Spirit. Not the easiest type of Global Positioning system to follow.

They preached in the temple. They preached to the big crowd. They preached to one man. They healed the lame. They preached to the Jews. They preached to the non-Jews. They were ridiculed. They were hated. They ran from a potential mob attack. They continued to preach after that. Then Paul was stoned and the people even thought he had already died. Paul was rescued by other believers.

Then they went back to their church and reported about what happened.

 

this made me think.

Did God make sharing the gospel easy?

no He didn’t.

no wonder we’re always so scared to tell our friends the gospel.

no wonder we don’t like to be chosen to go on mission trips.

it’s not easy!

Barnabas and Paul was already pulled out of their comfort zone.

Barnabas and Paul’s journey was not planned out or written on paper.

They probably didn’t know what to bring and how much.

That’s against all the rules in my Travelling 101 book.

They had to talk to strangers.

and still they got hated.

 

God wants to be known.

You know that guy who sat beside you in class last year?

God wants to have a relationship with him.

Everyone you watched your last movie in the cinema with,

God wants to love them and show them His amazing love.

Your colleagues, your friends, your family, your strangers.

God desires for them to be friends with Him.

But how will they know if God is not revealed to them?

There is only TWO things you can do about this.

Pray they don’t go to hell, and TELL them about Jesus.

 

not many Christians have responded to this call because of the hardships they know that will come with it. Even I have a hard time sharing with my friends what I think about God or Jesus or the Word. But we have to suffer for them. For the freedom of their spirit and soul.

 

God has called us.

 

But if we, the few, do not answer His call and do it,

who will?

 

 

Acts 12

Verses 1 – 19

 

It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. ² He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. ³ When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

⁶ The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. ⁷ Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

⁸ Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. ⁹ Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

¹¹ Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”

¹² When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. ¹³ Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

¹⁵ “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

¹⁶ But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. ¹⁷ Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the brothers about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

¹⁸ In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

 

 

prison break, now on dvd hahaha!

 

i wonder if Peter’s prison break looks as cool as this poster.

 

so anyways, i noticed something about the church that is sooooo similar to me.

in verse 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

but in verse 12 – 15

¹² When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. ¹³ Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

¹⁵ “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

 

the very people who are praying for Peter are also the people who DID NOT BELIEVE that Peter would escape.

hmmmm. so what happened to believing in our heart what we prayed for?

can they be earnestly praying yet unbelieving in what they prayed for at the same time?

 

this is the same with me.

sometimes, when i pray, i do it earnestly.

i do want for something to happen.

but sometimes i can think my prayer was abit far-fetched.

but then after that i have to ask for forgiveness for not believing that God can do it.

and when sometimes God doesnt give me what I want, i blame myself for not believing enough.

 

 

Matthew 21:22 

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.

 

to have faith is difficult.

because we are trained to be very logical people.

and by logic, some things are just not natural.

like an angel busting you out of jail.

faith is believing in what the eye cannot see, and what cannot be proven.

the people in the room did not believe that Peter would be able to escape or be release from jail.

but Rhoda the servant girl did.

 

James 1:6 

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

 

to have doubt is easy.

because we train our logic skills more than we train our trust skills.

so because of doubt, i learn to pray “safe” prayer.

not asking too much or too demanding things.

 

instead we should learn to pray and proclaim in faith.

 

John 14:13-14 

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it

 

another point to remember about prayer.

if it glorifies God, He will make it come to pass.

if it is His will, He will make it come to pass.

so, even if you pray with complete faith, but it is not what God wants to do or what He thinks is right, your prayer will be useless.

but even simple prayer with simple faith, if it glorifies God, God will grant it.

 

 

Christianity is not a religion.

instead, it is a relationship with God through Jesus.

and no relationship can exist without communication.

Prayer is that communication.

 

Acts 11

Dedicated To Jun

 

Verses 19 – 21

 

¹⁹ Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. ²⁰ However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.

 

 

the first thing that came to my mind was:

The Few.

The power of the Lord was with them.

who?

some of the believers.

 

i was wondering about this.

why the special emphasis on:

1. the believers preached, BUT ONLY TO THE JEWS.

2. SOME believers who preached to Gentiles.

3. the POWER of God was with them.

4. and the LARGE number of those Gentiles that turned to God.

 

i think its because of God’s movement. 

its quite obvious from the previous chapters that God wants to involve all the people in His saving Grace and Mercy.

Not just for the Jews.

these few believers were moving in God’s will.

the POWER of the Lord would have been with WHOEVER who moved with God.

 

again (as we see throughout the bible and as we see in life now) it’s the few,

The Willing.

God uses the few who are willing to move according to His will.

God uses the few who are willing to move out of their comfort zone.

God uses the few who are willing to give their time and energy.

 

don’t worry that you seem like you’re alone in ministry.

(it can be so discouraging that its the 20% of the church that does 80% of the work)

don’t worry that it seems like no one is willing.

God will still use you mightily.

you were willing.

God loves that and He empowers those who walk in His ways and purposes.

He blesses them and there will be great achievements not because we are good at what we do,

but because God is good at what He does, but he does it through the willing.

 

 

continue to be willing and trust God.

 

 

 

Romans 12:11-12

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

 

 

 

Acts 10

Verses 9b – 17

 

Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. ¹³ Then a voice told him,“Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

¹⁴ “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

¹⁷ While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.

 

 

we have to understand at this point, that the jews at that time had specific food to eat and not to eat.

God gave specific rules about what animals and insects were clean or unclean.

these rules can be found in one of the first few books of the bible. Exodus or Leviticus if im not mistaken haha. im not too sure?

 

so this was a surprise to Peter.

was God tempting him?

so the voice asked him three times, and i think he prolly declined three times as well.

 

now on to the next part that might explain whats going on.

 

 

Verses 19 – 48

 

¹⁹ While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

²¹ Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

²² The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” ²³ Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along.²⁴ The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

²⁷ Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. ²⁸ He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. ²⁹ So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

³⁰ Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me ³¹ and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. ³² Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. ³⁶ You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. ³⁷ You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸ how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

^…

⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” ⁴⁸ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

 

 

the main gist of my second part is that Peter realized that time has changed and God wants ALL to be saved.

The Holy Spirit even came upon those who are not Jews.

which is a confirmation of what the vision about the different animals that God has called pure.

 

See i noticed something about Peter.

why did God have to specifically show this vision to Peter?

didnt Jesus already say in Matt 28:18-20, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”?

ALL nations.

everyone.

then how come when Peter saw a large gathering of people, he had to remind them that it is against the law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him?

was he afraid?

 

 

well, whatever it was, Peter now knew that it was God’s calling.

This is God’s new movement: Globalization.

haha that sounds funny.

 

I think as a church, we must remember not to stereotype people.

the good news is for all.

sure, some situations may be more difficult than others (like Jews and Gentiles), but we must still reach out to them and love them.

because God HAS called them to be pure and holy.

 

 

Acts 9

A Disciple

 

verses 1-20

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,“Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

 

 

 

this is a very important turning event for a powerful man we all know as Paul (Saul was his old name hehe).

Paul was a very successful missionary and planted many many churches.

and he has such a dramatic story of how he was at first a persecutor of the church,

God changed him, and he started being a powerful man in the early church history.

 

but i cant help but notice that this story is not just about Paul/Saul and Jesus.

there’s this disciple called Ananias.

 

Ananias prayed for Paul.

but is that all there is to the story?

i think not.

i think God wanted to teach Ananias to faithful and obedient.

i think God wanted to teach me about being faithful and obedient too through Ananias.

let me explain.

 

when Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

do you think he was just trying to double check if God made a mistake?

just in case he heard wrong maybe?

i think not.

i think after hearing the horrors and stories about what Saul/Paul was doing, and after hearing that Saul was coming into HIS town to look for people like HIM, with Ananias’ life in danger,

i think, that Ananias didn’t actually want to pray for Saul.

would you?

i wouldn’t even want to meet or go anywhere near this Saul.

 

this reminds me of the story of Jonah.

i think the story of Jonah is more about his rebellion than about him being eaten and vomited from by a fish just because he didnt taste that good.

no.

God asked Jonah to preach to a people (Ninevites if im not mistaken).

the worst people at that time.

the most sinful.

worst.

and Jonah absolutely hated them.

they were doing totally detestable things.

things God hated. it’s gross. and horrible. and yucky.

but God wanted Jonah to preach to them.

Jonah was sure he wouldn’t be able to get his message into their thick skulls,

also, he hated them and wanted God to punish them instead.

so instead of travelling towards Nineveh,

he traveled the total opposite direction.

 

But eventually, after spending some time in the belly of the whale (just an expression),

he decided it’s wiser to be following and obeying God’s will.

he went and preached to the Ninevites.

and what he was afraid of happened:

they totally repented.

totally and wholly.

 

its so amazing that because of ONE man.

one obedient man, such a big change could happen.

of course, it’s God who did it, not Jonah.

but God wanted to use a willing hearted man.

 

Ananias trusted God and met Saul despite what he felt about Saul.

Saul was blind, and if God healed him, how did Ananias know that Saul wouldnt just take his sword out and kill him on the spot?

shouldnt Ananias just chop Saul’s head off while he was vulnerable?

but Ananias obeyed God anyways.

 

you know, i do have a problem with authoritative figures sometimes.

namely my parents and God Himself.

i like to be disobedient.

i like to think myself above the law because i think i know better.

i think i know the purpose and motive behind the law, and because of that i think i can break some laws for my convenience as long as i knew the real purpose of some laws.

but i see myself being more and more disobedient from there on.

it becomes ok.

sometimes i don’t want to obey.

and since i’ve disobeyed other laws, i think this other law? should be fine as well.

its so small matter.

 

sometimes God speaks to me clearly like He spoke to Jonah and Ananias.

but sometimes it’s just more comfortable or more fun to not obey what God wants.

 

but i have to remember. its not about me.

it’s about God and what He wants and what He has planned for me and for people around me.

obeying Him not only would benefit me, it would benefit so many people.

look at what Jonah and Ananias and all the people in the bible did.

look at the simple things they did and how many people they have impacted.

Ananias just prayed for Saul.

probably hung out with him for a while during recovery.

Boom churches all over Asia.

 

God changed Saul’s name to Paul, and used him so mightily for the extension of God’s kingdom.

Ananias was part of that.

but disciple Ananias needed to be obedient to impact the world.

 

 

he needed to choose obedience.

so do I.

 

 

Simon Says “I Want To Have That Power!”

Lesson Of The Day:

 

Being worse than me doesn’t make them more of a sinner than I am.

 

 

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today i will be covering my devotion on Acts chapter 8

 

Verses 1, 3-4

 

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria…

 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

 

i have heard many encouraging stories of churches and christians seeing revival and how they grew in number and spirit like crazy.

but its amazing how much a church can grow because of persecution.

so much of the stories i’ve heard are about how the christians are persecuted.

and these occurrences makes the church grow stronger instead of weaker.

this is a great example of how the church becomes more proactive when being persecuted.

it’s like the church needs persecution to be the catalyst to make change happen.

 

i hope that doesnt need to happen in Malaysia.

 

 

Verses 5-8

 

Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

 

sometimes the best proof of Christ is the most simple:

joy.

 

 so many of my friends who love God the most have the same trait.

they bring joy into their friends’ lives.

people just feel happy and like to have them around.

and it’s consistent.

from the most melancholic, shy, and meek, to the most brave, loud and friendly,

if they love God, they bring joy around with them.

 

maybe we should assess ourselves as individuals.

are we bringing joy to people around us?

as a church, are we bringing joy to our city?

 

or even better, as verse 8 states, GREAT JOY.

a Great God should bring Great Joy right?

and He does it through those who have Him in their hearts, right?

 

 

Verses 9-24

 

⁹ Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, ¹⁰ and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” ¹¹ They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. ¹² But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³ Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. ¹⁵ When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money ¹⁹ and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰ Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! ²¹ You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. ²² Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. ²³ For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

²⁴ Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

 

 Here are random thoughts i had while reading this:

(in no particular order)

 

This simon is so demanding.

no wonder the game is called “Simon Says”

 

this man is very career minded.

he wants to better himself in the sorcery and “amazing” (or showing off to) people.

which is totally not God’s heart.

which made me think, did simon really receive the Holy Spirit?

 

Good news: the gift of God is free!

 

“captive to sin”

reminds me of how dangerous it is to be playing with magic, spirits, and mediums.

 

 

 

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Random Funny Since It’s Christmas Season

 

 

on the serious side,

i had great christmas gifts.

thanks all!

thank You God for answering prayers!

 

 

 

Acts 6

Wonder If You Noticed

 

i changed my layout a little bit.

widened the wideness of the my blog maincontent box.

also added a little more pink (only for the eyes that are MORE observant).

the more obvious one, is the size of my blog content fonts.

so now we dont have to ctrl+scroll to zoom into the words anymore.

 

anyways besides that…

 

 

 

Information Age No More

 

so most people see the 21st century as the information age.

i, however, have to disagree.

for me, today, the information age has passed.

 

why is it that even though information is at our fingertips,

we are still so stupid.

in fact we are more reliant on technology than ever.

so much that we use it to think and remember for us.

 

but more than that,

we let technology to do the thinking and remembering so much,

that we have to do something with our time.

and that is ENTERTAINMENT.

 

i believe we have entered the ENTERTAINMENT AGE.

think about it.

we now want everything fast and easy.

FOR OUR CONVENIENCE.

we combine work and play. (handphones and laptop and fb and media)

but in actual fact, work becomes an excuse and youtube, FB and games are the main reason we bought that iphone or S3.

everything now has to struggle to gain our attention, because there are so many things entertaining us.

or distracting us.

it’s so bad, that people now even EXPECT to be entertained (ever heard the complaint “so boringgggg”?).

 

anyways.

i was writing this not because its related to the topic of my devotion today.

but because it took me so long to actually get my devotion done. (cuz i was distracted by fb and youtube lol)

and after that, i opened this blog post writing page, and it took me an hour before i actually started typing.

yea. i’m guilty as charged.

BOOM

 

 

 

Verses 1-7

 

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

 

first of all.

this is a good example of delegation.

we are humans. and we cant be everywhere doing everything, even though we’d like to.

 

this is also a good reminder that as we delegate, we should pray for those we delegate to, and bless them and even ask for anointing.

the act of empowerment can make a difference i guess.

even if the duty is as simple as waiting on tables.

 

secondly.

we see success in teamwork.

as the work was delegated, the Word could be spread, and the widows could be served,

of course the number of disciples in Jerusalem would increase rapidly.

we need to understand the role we each have, and not be too jealous of more glamorous roles.

 

look at Stephen.

in the second part of Acts 6 and in the whole of Acts 7, we see what an anointed and wise man he is.

YET, he was delegated to wait on tables!!

and the Twelve even recognized Stephen as full of faith and the Holy Spirit.

yet, he didnt complain for a more glamorous role like the ministry of the word.

he did his job and the church grew.

for a fully functioning body, each member of the body has to do his own role,

so that the whole body may move forward and/or play tennis.

and if they move with a synchronized purpose, the body may actually win that tennis game.

 

thirdly.

i asked myself, why?

why did the Twelve delegate responsibility based on that person being known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom?

you know, honestly, for me, logically, it would be more sensible to pick people to wait tables with other criterion;

like good leadership skills (cuz they prolly have to make teams).

like willing heart.

like hardworking people.

like kindness.

like honestly.

at least there is the criterion of wisdom.

 

for me, people known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom should be discipling, ministering, and reaching out (missionary).

not taking orders and cleaning the tables.

 

so why do YOU think God chose these people to wait tables?

let me know.