May the Lord and His Grace be with our spirits

March 31, 2013 - 2 Timothy 4:22

4:22

願 主 與 你 的 靈 同 在 。 願 恩 惠 常 與 你 們 同 在 。

 ²² The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

The Presence of the Lord with our spirits is the most wonderful blessing for our life. The Lord promises that His Spirit is with our spirits and His Grace is with us forever. Today is a special baptismal Sunday that four believers of our church will be baptized into the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is not simply a ritual act or external religious performance but signifies how believers are united with Christ by the washing of rebirth and regeneration of the Spirit through our faith in Jesus Christ. This also gives believers a promise that God's Spirit being with our spirits and His Grace being with us all. 

My dear Heavenly Father, thanks again for your Grace through Your Son - Jesus Christ - in seeking us and restoring us back to your children, and the continual work of Your Spirit in our lives. May I rest in Your Grace and continue to experience Your love more and more through Your Spirit. 

Breathe the Life of the Spirit through Reading the Scriptures

March 30, 2013 - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

3:16		聖 經 都 是 　 神 所 默 示 的 、 〔 或 作 凡 　 神 所 默 示 的 聖 經 〕 於 教 訓 、 督 責 、 使 人 歸 正 、 教 導 人 學 義 、 都 是 有 益 的 ．
3:17		叫 屬 　 神 的 人 得 以 完 全 、 預 備 行 各 樣 的 善 事 。

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Paul proclaims that all Scripture is inspired by God or God-breathed by the Spirit of God. Reading the Scriptures are not merely understanding the content that talks about the knowledge of God but are at the same time like breathing the Spirit of God - receiving the life or breath of the Spirit that nourishes and sustains our spiritual life, teaches, equips and trains us in God's righteousness, and lifts our spirits to see the heavenly realm of God. 

My dear Holy Spirit, You are the only Spiritual Teacher who equips me for serving the Lord through reading and understanding the words of God; and You are the Spiritual Guide who leads me to experience the love of heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus; and You are the Spiritual Giver that endows me with the necessary spiritual gifts in my ministry as I earnestly ask for and pursue after these gifts - teaching people the words of God, mentoring and coaching emerging leaders, building up godly ministry teams, and praying for people's transformation and healing. 

The Essence of Godliness - the Power of the Spirit

March 29, 2013 - 2 Timothy 3:5

3:5

有 敬 虔 的 外 貌 、 卻 背 了 敬 虔 的 實 意 ． 這 等 人 你 要 躲 開 。

⁵ Having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Paul seriously warns believers the danger of having the form of godliness - routine religious activities, services, uses of religious languages, some religious practices, and even the mindset of typical religions, but losing the Power of real Christianity. Christian faith to Paul must be manifested by the Power of the Spirit. Without that, our Christian faith will be reduced to the form of godliness, without the real essence of godliness. To Paul, the power of the Spirit must be demonstrated by the real sanctification and transformation of a believer's life - the Spirit actively works in a believer's life through the words of God in his/her life's changing, deeds and ministries to God. 

My dear God, I need Your Spirit to continually enlighten my "spiritual blindness" through Your Holy Word so that I can breakthrough my old habits and paradigm of life. I desire to experience how the Power of the Holy Spirit is realized in my life as I submit and fully trust that You are God - in You everything is possible. 

Guard the Sound Teaching by the Help of the Holy Spirit

March 28, 2013 - 2 Timothy 1:14

1:14

從 前 所 交 託 你 的 善 道 、 你 要 靠 著 那 住 在 我 們 裡 面 的 聖 靈 、 牢 牢 的 守 著 。

  ¹³ What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Paul exhorts Timothy to guard the sound teaching by the help of the Holy Spirit, which was entrusted to him and received by him with faith and love. Believers receive the most wonderful gifts from God - His words and His Spirit. God's words are different from merely moral codes or legal requirements. Paul exhorts Timothy to guard the words with faith - trusting the words of God; with love - desiring and meditating the words of God; and by the help of the Holy Spirit - relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit to know and experience God's words. 

My Lord, this is a world without Your words. Let me experience how your words are still so true to me in the contemporary as the time when Jesus and the Early Church witnesses Your Power. This is a world enslaved by various spirits - spirit of secularism, spirit of indulgence, demonic spirits, etc. Let me absolutely rely on the Spirit of God to witness and demonstrate the power of You and Your words in transforming and healing people's lives. 

We receive the Spirit of Power, Love and Self-Discipline

March 27, 2013 - 2 Timothy 1:6-8

1:6		為 此 我 提 醒 你 、 使 你 將 　 神 藉 我 按 手 所 給 你 的 恩 賜 、 再 如 火 挑 旺 起 來 。
1:7		因 為 　 神 賜 給 我 們 、 不 是 膽 怯 的 心 、 乃 是 剛 強 、 仁 愛 、 謹 守 的 心 。
1:8		你 不 要 以 給 我 們 的 主 作 見 證 為 恥 、 也 不 要 以 我 這 為 主 被 囚 的 為 恥 ． 總 要 按 　 神 的 能 力 、 與 我 為 福 音 同 受 苦 難 ．

 ⁶ For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. ⁸ So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

Paul reminds Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God he received from the Lord through the laying on of Paul's hands in him before. Paul further exhorts to Timothy that the Spirit he received from God is also a spirit of power, love and self-discipline though Timothy was now suffering with Paul for the Gospel's sake. Paul considers that the Spirit of God is the source of power and love for us believers, igniting our hearts and giving us the required gifts for serving, and at the same time, even transforming our weakness into power, coldness of heart into spiritual fervor, fear into courage, shame-ness of the Gospel into glory of exalting Jesus, etc. 

My dear Holy Spirit, I also deeply hunger for the manifestation of Your power and love into my life, occupying every part of my mind, will and affection. Ignite the gifts that You have given and shaped in my life before. Fill my heart with "warmth" from the love of Jesus, "courage" from the power of the Spirit, and "zeal" for God's glory.   

God pours out His Spirit generously on us - Washing of Rebirth and Renewal by the Holy Spirit

March 26, 2013 - Titus 3:4-7

3:4		但 到 了 　 神 我 們 救 主 的 恩 慈 、 和 他 向 人 所 施 的 慈 愛 顯 明 的 時 候 、
3:5		他 便 救 了 我 們 、 並 不 是 因 我 們 自 己 所 行 的 義 、 乃 是 照 他 的 憐 憫 、 藉 著 重 生 的 洗 、 和 聖 靈 的 更 新 。
3:6		聖 靈 就 是 　 神 藉 著 耶 穌 基 督 我 們 救 主 、 厚 厚 澆 灌 在 我 們 身 上 的 ．
3:7		好 叫 我 們 因 他 的 恩 得 稱 為 義 、 可 以 憑 著 永 生 的 盼 望 成 為 後 嗣 。 〔 或 作 可 以 憑 著 盼 望 承 受 永 生 〕

⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 

Paul states that we are saved not because of our righteous deeds but due to the mercy of our Father God Savior when His kindness and love appeared to us. Our God is our Savior and He also pours out His Spirit generously on us that through our Lord Jesus Christ our Savior (Father God and Jesus Christ are called by Paul as our Savior), so that we are regenerated (washing of rebirth) and renewed by the Holy Spirit to be justified and to become heirs of having the hope of eternal life. 

I praise You God as You are our Savior. You saved us as You love and show kindness to us. You sent Your Son Jesus Christ as our Savior to redeem us from the death of sins. You pour Your Spirit generously on us that through the Spirit we are washed and regenerated to have a new life and relationship with You. I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me to meditate on the kindness and love of Father God and Jesus Christ my Savior in this special Good Friday and Easter season. May my spirit be washed and renewed everyday by the Spirit that I can come close to the amazing love of my God and Jesus Christ without any obstruction.