Sharing is Caring

  ‘What I have I give you’     [Acts 3:1-10]   The article titled ‘True Gospel Evangelism [Sitting at the Lord's Feet Every Day]’ (Christigreen) questions what the best method of gospel evangelism is, one that can be consistently effective across all eras.   It raises queries such as ‘Is it through reform movements?   Short-term or long-term missions?   Turning the globe into a mission field?   Is it through life as a form of evangelism?   Is it through radio or television?’   It acknowledges that God has used all of these methods, sometimes employing quite dramatic means, to proclaim the gospel to the world.   However, the Bible does not particularly emphasize any of these methods as crucial in spreading the message that Jesus is the Son of God.   It goes on to suggest that the most powerful method of evangelism, one that can be consistently effective across all eras, is when the church comes together with one heart...

When He was afflicted         “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.   By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?   His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7-9).         When we are afflicted, how do we respond?   I'm reminded of the gospel song “In these dark days lift up your eyes to Jesus”: (v. 1) In these dark days lift up your eyes to Jesus Lift up your eyes He's still upon the throne And come what may, He never will forsake you For He is God to Him all things are known, (v. 2) In...

  Day 11: Ephesians 4:4-5, 1 Corinthians 12:25, Romans 12:15         One body in Christ       The church refers to the believers, those whom God has redeemed and saved through His sacrifice.  Paul described the church as the body of Christ.  Though there are various members, each with different roles, together they form the one body of Christ, which is the church.  In other words, the church is where unity is maintained within diversity.  Why did God place diverse members in the church, all being part of the one body of Christ?  It's because He desired there to be no division within the body, but rather, for the various members to care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25).  Hence, a ministry of caring is essential for the church.  Rejoicing with those who rejoice, and weeping with those who weep, forms a community (Rom. 12:15) that is undoubtedly beautiful in the eyes of the Lord.   The re...

“a servant of Christ Jesus”         [Romans 1:1-7]     The Book of Romans is a letter written by the apostle Paul while he was in Corinth before going up to Jerusalem on his third missionary journey (Matthew Hendrickson).  The recipients of this letter were the Christian community in Rome, which consisted of both Jewish and Gentile Christians.  If distributed, this community was mainly Gentile saints.  To them, Paul wrote a letter to the Romans.  What was his purpose?  His purpose was to preach the gospel (chapters. 1-11).  And it was to help them live a life worthy of the gospel (chapters 12-16).  In other words, the theme of the letter to Romans is “the gospel” (Moo).  The noun “gospel” and its verb “evangelize” are used especially in the introduction (cf. 1:1, 2, 9, 15) and conclusion (15:16, 19).  That is, the word “gospel” is framed throughout the letter.  Today's text is a part of 1:1-1...

Prophesized death and resurrection (3)       [Matthew 16:21-23]       Matthew 16:21-23 say: “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.  Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.’  But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.’”  Here, “that time” refers to the time when Simon Peter confessed his faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16) through the revelation of God the Father in heaven, and received many compliments from Jesus.   After hearing Peter's confession of faith, Jesus said, "I will build my church on this rock (Peter's confession of faith), and the powers of Hades w...