With Passion for God's Name and Patience in people's lives for carrying out God's ministry.

August 15, 2013 - Acts 15:30-41

^30-33 And so off they went to Antioch. On arrival, they gathered the church and read the letter. The people were greatly relieved and pleased. Judas and Silas, good preachers both of them, strengthened their new friends with many words of courage and hope. Then it was time to go home. They were sent off by their new friends with laughter and embraces all around to report back to those who had sent them.

   ³⁵ Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of God. But they weren’t alone. There were a number of teachers and preachers at that time in Antioch.

   ³⁶ After a few days of this, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit all our friends in each of the towns where we preached the Word of God. Let’s see how they’re doing.”

   ^37-41 Barnabas wanted to take John along, the John nicknamed Mark. But Paul wouldn’t have him; he wasn’t about to take along a quitter who, as soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia. Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways: Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus; Paul chose Silas and, offered up by their friends to the grace of the Master, went to Syria and Cilicia to build up muscle and sinew in those congregations.

Paul and Barnabas were both filled with the Holy Spirit, but still had a division about the acceptance of Mark in their mission ministry team. They couldn't reach the consensus and come to the point that they had to separate from each other and form their own ministry teams. Barnabas brought Mark while Paul had Silas in his team. It seems that though God's people have the same Holy Spirit but discerning the issues and reaching a consensus may not be an easy decision. Nevertheless, we see that in the long-run God still blessed both Paul's and Barnabas' ministry. Paul missions went as far as to Rome and other Gentiles cities, while Barnabas missions ministry might not be extended as far as that of Paul, but the evangelist Mark was certainly built up through Barnabas' mentorship. God's name is always to be praised. 

Dear Holy Spirit, grant us a heart of wideness. Always have a spirit of giving blessings to others through our lives no matter we have differences with others. Be compassionate like Jesus and have eyes of hope and trust in people about who they are becoming rather than simply who now they are. With passions like Paul and patience like Barnabas for carrying out the ministries of Jesus that His Name is to be exalted through me. 

Discern the works of God by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

August 14, 2013 - Acts 15:1-29

^1 1-2 It wasn’t long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: “If you’re not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can’t be saved.” Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce protest. The church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabas, and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem.

   ³ After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the non-Jewish outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheered—it was terrific news!

   ^4-5 When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were graciously received by the whole church, including the apostles and leaders. They reported on their recent journey and how God had used them to open things up to the outsiders. Some Pharisees stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold to the hard party line of the Pharisees. “You have to circumcise the pagan converts,” they said. “You must make them keep the Law of Moses.”

   ^6-9 The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: “Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can’t be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person’s thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him.

   ^10-11 “So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? Don’t we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?”

   ^12-13 There was dead silence. No one said a word. With the room quiet, Barnabas and Paul reported matter-of-factly on the miracles and wonders God had done among the other nations through their ministry. The silence deepened; you could hear a pin drop.

   ^13-18 James broke the silence. “Friends, listen. Simeon has told us the story of how God at the very outset made sure that racial outsiders were included. This is in perfect agreement with the words of the prophets:

   After this, I’m coming back;
   I’ll rebuild David’s ruined house;
I’ll put all the pieces together again;
   I’ll make it look like new
So outsiders who seek will find,
   so they’ll have a place to come to,
All the pagan peoples
   included in what I’m doing.

   “God said it and now he’s doing it. It’s no afterthought; he’s always known he would do this.

   ^19-21 “So here is my decision: We’re not going to unnecessarily burden non-Jewish people who turn to the Master. We’ll write them a letter and tell them, ‘Be careful to not get involved in activities connected with idols, to guard the morality of sex and marriage, to not serve food offensive to Jewish Christians—blood, for instance.’ This is basic wisdom from Moses, preached and honored for centuries now in city after city as we have met and kept the Sabbath.”

   ^22-23 Everyone agreed: apostles, leaders, all the people. They picked Judas (nicknamed Barsabbas) and Silas—they both carried considerable weight in the church—and sent them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas with this letter:

   From the apostles and leaders, your friends, to our friends in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

   Hello!

   ^24-27 We heard that some men from our church went to you and said things that confused and upset you. Mind you, they had no authority from us; we didn’t send them. We have agreed unanimously to pick representatives and send them to you with our good friends Barnabas and Paul. We picked men we knew you could trust, Judas and Silas—they’ve looked death in the face time and again for the sake of our Master Jesus Christ. We’ve sent them to confirm in a face-to-face meeting with you what we’ve written.

   ^28-29 It seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us that you should not be saddled with any crushing burden, but be responsible only for these bare necessities: Be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols; avoid serving food offensive to Jewish Christians (blood, for instance); and guard the morality of sex and marriage.

   These guidelines are sufficient to keep relations congenial between us. And God be with you!

The Holy Spirit worked actively in guiding the church while discrepancies occurred in the teaching of their church life. The Gentiles church sent Paul and Barnabas as their representatives to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles. Peter stood up to confirm that the gentiles received the same Holy Spirit as they did; Paul and Barnabas witnessed how signs and wonders were performed by the Holy Spirit as they preached the name of Jesus; and James concluded their observations about how the prophecies were fulfilled as Gentiles were included as people of God. The church, being led by the Holy Spirit, reached a consensus in understanding the work of God in Gentiles and set up guidelines for the Gentiles church. 

The Spirit is the Lord of the church. The apostles and church's leaders followed and discerned the works of the Holy Spirit in their church's ministries. My dear Holy Spirit, I keen on seeking for your works in Christ's churches. Leaders of your church deeply require your transformation of their lives and illumination of their eyes to see how churches can advance God's missions, and your wisdom and the unity of spirits that they can resolve conflicts as they arise. Continue to show me your way and open your doors that I can follow. But most importantly, renew my hearts and rekindle the gifts that You have endowed on me that I can carry out your transformative works in people's lives. 

God's love is sufficient for us to conquer our hard times by the power of the Spirit.

August 13, 2013 - Acts 14:21-28

    ^21-22 After proclaiming the Message in Derbe and establishing a strong core of disciples, they retraced their steps to Lystra, then Iconium, and then Antioch, putting muscle and sinew in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that it wouldn’t be easy: “Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go through plenty of hard times.”

   ^23-26 Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. After praying—their prayers intensified by fasting—they presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their lives. Working their way back through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia and preached in Perga. Finally, they made it to Attalia and caught a ship back to Antioch, where it had all started—launched by God’s grace and now safely home by God’s grace. A good piece of work.

   ^27-28 On arrival, they got the church together and reported on their trip, telling in detail how God had used them to throw the door of faith wide open so people of all nations could come streaming in. Then they settled down for a long, leisurely visit with the disciples.

The apostles went through hard times to build up church - the disciples - even to the point of death. They handpicked leaders, developing them, praying for them with fasting, entrusting them to the Lord, and then deploying them to serve in the church. They returned their trip through Lystra, Iconium, Pisidia, and then back to Antioch. The new disciples were exhorted to keep their faith, knowing that they need to go through plenty of hard times as they seek for the kingdom of God. 

Dear Holy Spirit, thanks for converting our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh that we can experience love of Jesus and also see the reality of God's kingdom. We at the same time continue to rely on your power and working in our hearts that we know that Jesus and His apostles are our examples of walking the path to the eternal destiny. Always prepare ourselves to go through plenty of hard times by the love of God through the power of the Spirit as we walk on our heavenly journey for witnessing the name of Jesus in the midst of persecutions, restlessness, illness,  spiritual warfare. But experience that your grace and power are always sufficient for us to conquer our weaknesses.

To unite with Jesus in his death but also with his resurrected life in our ministry.

August 12, 2013 - Acts 14:8-20

  ^8-10 There was a man in Lystra who couldn’t walk. He sat there, crippled since the day of his birth. He heard Paul talking, and Paul, looking him in the eye, saw that he was ripe for God’s work, ready to believe. So he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Up on your feet!” The man was up in a flash—jumped up and walked around as if he’d been walking all his life.

   ^11-13 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they went wild, calling out in their Lyconian dialect, “The gods have come down! These men are gods!” They called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes” (since Paul did most of the speaking). The priest of the local Zeus shrine got up a parade—bulls and banners and people lined right up to the gates, ready for the ritual of sacrifice.

   ^14-15 When Barnabas and Paul finally realized what was going on, they stopped them. Waving their arms, they interrupted the parade, calling out, “What do you think you’re doing! We’re not gods! We are men just like you, and we’re here to bring you the Message, to persuade you to abandon these silly god-superstitions and embrace God himself, the living God. We don’t make God; he makes us, and all of this—sky, earth, sea, and everything in them.

   ^16-18 “In the generations before us, God let all the different nations go their own way. But even then he didn’t leave them without a clue, for he made a good creation, poured down rain and gave bumper crops. When your bellies were full and your hearts happy, there was evidence of good beyond your doing.” Talking fast and hard like this, they prevented them from carrying out the sacrifice that would have honored them as gods—but just barely.

   ^19-20 Then some Jews from Antioch and Iconium caught up with them and turned the fickle crowd against them. They beat Paul unconscious, dragged him outside the town and left him for dead. But as the disciples gathered around him, he came to and got up. He went back into town and the next day left with Barnabas for Derbe.

Jesus healed a paralytic; Peter healed a man who was crippled since his birth; and now Paul performed the first miracle and healed a man who was crippled since his birth, just like the miraculous work of Jesus and Peter. By the same Spirit, Jesus, Peter, and Paul performed miracles of healing in confirming their preaching works. Nevertheless, the enemy at the same time carried out the deception work. The audience, though seeing the miracles but without an inspired understanding of the truth by the Holy Spirit, thought that Paul and Barnabas were Hermes and Zeus, their divinities and tried to worship them as gods. Persecution were also aroused to oppose the apostles and even beating Paul nearly to death in Lystra. This mission experience was what Paul described as handing himself over to Jesus in his death but also at the same time living the life of Jesus in this severe persecution. 

Dear Holy Spirit, continue to speak to me through meditating your words, and cultivate in me a life like the apostles - unite my life with Jesus in his death, but also unite with Jesus in his resurrected life in my future ministry. The reward of a Christian life is not so much the gain of the worldly rewards, like honor, material prosperity, power, fame, etc., as the gain of the resurrected life of Jesus that is manifested in our holiness, the power of life transformation, and the future glory with our Lord. 

Preaching Jesus with the works corroborated by the Spirit.

August 11, 2013 - Acts 14:1-7

 ^1 1-3 When they got to Iconium they went, as they always did, to the meeting place of the Jews and gave their message. The Message convinced both Jews and non-Jews—and not just a few, either. But the unbelieving Jews worked up a whispering campaign against Paul and Barnabas, sowing mistrust and suspicion in the minds of the people in the street. The two apostles were there a long time, speaking freely, openly, and confidently as they presented the clear evidence of God’s gifts, God corroborating their work with miracles and wonders.

   ^4-7 But then there was a split in public opinion, some siding with the Jews, some with the apostles. One day, learning that both the Jews and non-Jews had been organized by their leaders to beat them up, they escaped as best they could to the next towns—Lyconia, Lystra, Derbe, and that neighborhood—but then were right back at it again, getting out the Message.

Paul and Barnabas were filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed message of Gospel inspired by the Spirit, and their works were also corroborated by the Spirit with miracles and wonders. At the same time, the enemy sowed seeds of mistrust and suspicion among the people. Paul and Barnabas were forced to escape from Iconium but continued to preach in other towns. 

The ministry of Paul and Barnabas demonstrated also the ministry life for people of God today. All our whole being and our works shall be moved by the Spirit. Our words of witness shall be inspired by the Spirit particularly through the words of God; our works of witness shall be corroborated by the works of the Spirit (signs, wonders); and our footsteps shall be led by the Spirit no matter the circumstances are free and open, or desperate and unclear in the future. The Holy Spirit blesses the work of His servants who completely surrender to the sovereignty and good will of the Spirit in their lives and ministries. 

Dear Holy Spirit, please continue to speak and work in your church and your people, particularly in your servants and those who are mourning in their pains. May your healing come upon them that they can receive joy again and shout praise to you. 

Preaching Jesus as inspired by the Holy Spirit

August 10, 2013 - Acts 13:13-52

^13-14 From Paphos, Paul and company put out to sea, sailing on to Perga in Pamphylia. That’s where John called it quits and went back to Jerusalem. From Perga the rest of them traveled on to Antioch in Pisidia.

   ^14-15 On the Sabbath they went to the meeting place and took their places. After the reading of the Scriptures—God’s Law and the Prophets—the president of the meeting asked them, “Friends, do you have anything you want to say? A word of encouragement, perhaps?”

   ^16-20 Paul stood up, paused and took a deep breath, then said, “Fellow Israelites and friends of God, listen. God took a special interest in our ancestors, pulled our people who were beaten down in Egyptian exile to their feet, and led them out of there in grand style. He took good care of them for nearly forty years in that godforsaken wilderness and then, having wiped out seven enemies who stood in the way, gave them the land of Canaan for their very own—a span in all of about 450 years.

   ^20-22 “Up to the time of Samuel the prophet, God provided judges to lead them. But then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, out of the tribe of Benjamin. After Saul had ruled forty years, God removed him from office and put King David in his place, with this commendation: ‘I’ve searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He’s a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.’

   ^23-25 “From out of David’s descendants God produced a Savior for Israel, Jesus, exactly as he promised—but only after John had thoroughly alerted the people to his arrival by preparing them for a total life-change. As John was finishing up his work, he said, ‘Did you think I was the One? No, I’m not the One. But the One you’ve been waiting for all these years is just around the corner, about to appear. And I’m about to disappear.’

   ^26-29 “Dear brothers and sisters, children of Abraham, and friends of God, this message of salvation has been precisely targeted to you. The citizens and rulers in Jerusalem didn’t recognize who he was and condemned him to death. They couldn’t find a good reason, but demanded that Pilate execute him anyway. They did just what the prophets said they would do, but had no idea they were following to the letter the script of the prophets, even though those same prophets are read every Sabbath in their meeting places.

   ^29-31 “After they had done everything the prophets said they would do, they took him down from the cross and buried him. And then God raised him from death. There is no disputing that—he appeared over and over again many times and places to those who had known him well in the Galilean years, and these same people continue to give witness that he is alive.

   ^32-35 “And we’re here today bringing you good news: the Message that what God promised the fathers has come true for the children—for us! He raised Jesus, exactly as described in the second Psalm:

   My Son! My very own Son!
Today I celebrate you!

   “When he raised him from the dead, he did it for good—no going back to that rot and decay for him. That’s why Isaiah said, ‘I’ll give to all of you David’s guaranteed blessings.’ So also the psalmist’s prayer: ‘You’ll never let your Holy One see death’s rot and decay.’

   ^36-39 “David, of course, having completed the work God set out for him, has been in the grave, dust and ashes, a long time now. But the One God raised up—no dust and ashes for him! I want you to know, my very dear friends, that it is on account of this resurrected Jesus that the forgiveness of your sins can be promised. He accomplishes, in those who believe, everything that the Law of Moses could never make good on. But everyone who believes in this raised-up Jesus is declared good and right and whole before God.

   ^40-41 “Don’t take this lightly. You don’t want the prophet’s sermon to describe you:

   Watch out, cynics;
Look hard—watch your world fall to pieces.
I’m doing something right before your eyes
That you won’t believe, though it’s staring you in the face.”

   ^42-43 When the service was over, Paul and Barnabas were invited back to preach again the next Sabbath. As the meeting broke up, a good many Jews and converts to Judaism went along with Paul and Barnabas, who urged them in long conversations to stick with what they’d started, this living in and by God’s grace.

   ^44-45 When the next Sabbath came around, practically the whole city showed up to hear the Word of God. Some of the Jews, seeing the crowds, went wild with jealousy and tore into Paul, contradicting everything he was saying, making an ugly scene.

   ^46-47 But Paul and Barnabas didn’t back down. Standing their ground they said, “It was required that God’s Word be spoken first of all to you, the Jews. But seeing that you want no part of it—you’ve made it quite clear that you have no taste or inclination for eternal life—the door is open to all the outsiders. And we’re on our way through it, following orders, doing what God commanded when he said,

   I’ve set you up
   as light to all nations.
You’ll proclaim salvation
   to the four winds and seven seas!”

   ^48-49 When the non-Jewish outsiders heard this, they could hardly believe their good fortune. All who were marked out for real life put their trust in God—they honored God’s Word by receiving that life. And this Message of salvation spread like wildfire all through the region.

   ^50-52 Some of the Jews convinced the most respected women and leading men of the town that their precious way of life was about to be destroyed. Alarmed, they turned on Paul and Barnabas and forcealld them to leave. Paul and Barnabas shrugged their shoulders and went on to the next town, Iconium, brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit, two happy disciples.

Paul and Barnabas were filled with the Holy Spirit and inspired by the words of the Holy Spirit, powerfully interpreting the salvation of Israelites in the Old Testament, and verifying that Jesus was the Messiah. The Holy Spirit again worked in people's heart and many people believed in Jesus in Pisidia at Antioch. The Jew were jealous of the apostles`works and caused disturbance, subsequently forcing them to leave the town. Nevertheless, the apostles were filled with joy and continued their works to Iconium. 

All ministry works and preaching require the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit that the words of God can pierce in people`s hearts and reveal hidden sins and secrets. The Holy Spirit worked powerfully in Peter, Stephen, Philip, and now in Barnabas and Paul. Through their inspired preaching and interpretation of Scriptures, people are converted and hearts are softened though the enemy will not hesitate to oppose and persecute. Dear Holy Spirit, continue to speak to me as a new day begins. Help me meditate on the words of God with Your help that I love Jesus more and more as a Person rather than simply doctrines or rules, and also can be more sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, always ready to be prompted by the Holy Spirit in my response. 

The Spirit leads the church as people of God faithfully serve and obey to the voice of the Spirit.

August 9, 2013 - Acts 13:1-12

    ^1 1-2 The congregation in Antioch was blessed with a number of prophet-preachers and teachers:

   Barnabas,
Simon, nicknamed Niger,
Lucius the Cyrenian,
Manaen, an advisor to the ruler Herod,
Saul.

   One day as they were worshiping God—they were also fasting as they waited for guidance—the Holy Spirit spoke: “Take Barnabas and Saul and commission them for the work I have called them to do.”

   ³ So they commissioned them. In that circle of intensity and obedience, of fasting and praying, they laid hands on their heads and sent them off.

   ^4-5 Sent off on their new assignment by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went down to Seleucia and caught a ship for Cyprus. The first thing they did when they put in at Salamis was preach God’s Word in the Jewish meeting places. They had John along to help out as needed.

   ^6-7 They traveled the length of the island, and at Paphos came upon a Jewish wizard who had worked himself into the confidence of the governor, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man not easily taken in by charlatans. The wizard’s name was Bar-Jesus. He was as crooked as a corkscrew.

   ^7-11 The governor invited Barnabas and Saul in, wanting to hear God’s Word firsthand from them. But Dr. Know-It-All (that’s the wizard’s name in plain English) stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer. But Saul (or Paul), full of the Holy Spirit and looking him straight in the eye, said, “You bag of wind, you parody of a devil—why, you stay up nights inventing schemes to cheat people out of God. But now you’ve come up against God himself, and your game is up. You’re about to go blind—no sunlight for you for a good long stretch.” He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show him the way.

   ¹² When the governor saw what happened, he became a believer, full of enthusiasm over what they were saying about the Master.

The Holy Spirit could work powerfully when the people of God were obedient, actively seeking for the will of the Spirit through fasting and praying. The leaders of the church of Antioch were full of the Holy Spirit, and many of them were prophets and teachers. They ministered to the church according to the gifts of the Spirit, and they were also sensitive and obedient to the Spirit's leading. They sent Barnabas and Paul out to start the first church's mission to Cyprus. They only had one heart for God, i.e., Jesus' gospel message and name was to be exalted in Gentiles and Jews. 

The missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, were also full of the Holy Spirit. Paul proclaimed God's judgement on Bar-Jesus, who opposed against the gospel, and turned his eyes into blindness, just like Saul had experienced before from Jesus. Seekers were moved by the power of the Holy Spirit, and believed in what Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed. 

Dear Holy Spirit, You demand obedience from us first before we can become your instruments for bringing blessings to others. Strengthen our hands that we follow after you and faithfully serving people with prayer and faith. Your works can be manifested through our hands that only Jesus' Name, not ours, will be exalted in a way that is always beyond our imagination.