Sharing is Caring

The name of Jesus Christ     [Acts 4:1-12]     During the pilgrimage to the Islamic holy site, known as the "Devil's Stoning," a tragic incident occurred in which over 340 people lost their lives, and more than a thousand were injured.   What is the "Devil's Stoning"?   This annual religious event, called Hajj, brings Muslims from all over the world to the holiest Islamic site in Saudi Arabia, Mecca.   It involves a declaration of faith affirming the oneness of Allah, as well as five daily prayers, religious dues, fasting during Ramadan (Islamic calendar's ninth month), and other practices that Muslims are obliged to follow as long as their health and financial means allow.   The Hajj pilgrims, who have gathered in Mina, a plain near Mecca, for the past few days, engage in prayers and contemplation to prepare for the actual pilgrimage.   On the way back to Mecca on the 10th day, pilgrims perform a ritual where they throw seven pe...

  Day 14: Acts 4:12       The name of Jesus Christ         The name of Jesus Christ gives us hope.  His name gives us the hope of resurrection, just as God the Father raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead.  Through His name, Apostle Peter also raised a paralyzed man to his feet (Acts 3:6).  Through this sign, we receive the hope of resurrection.  We too will be raised on the day when God, in the name of Jesus Christ, brings us back to life.  The name of Jesus Christ brings healing to us.  Just as Apostle Peter healed the paralyzed man in that name, God also heals us in the name of Jesus Christ.  The name of Jesus Christ brings us salvation.  The Bible tells us, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).  We praise the glorious name.

Day 7: Acts 3:6       "what I have I give you“     "The words 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk' give us valuable lessons about evangelism.     The first lesson is that we should first pay attention to the desperate souls God brings into our lives.   For Peter and John, the person they needed to focus on was the man who was lame from birth.   The second lesson is that we must be clear about what we do not possess.   In other words, there is no need to pretend to have silver and gold if we don't.   It would be unwise to give false hope and ultimately lead to greater disappointment.   The final lesson is that we must know and give what we do have.   For Peter and for us, it is the name of Jesus Christ.   We should proclaim the gospel in the name of salvation, a name of honor and glory, a name of power. In doing so, the h...

  God of heaven   [Nehemiah 9:13-15a]     Christian A. Schwarz surveyed 1,000 of the healthiest growing churches in 32 countries worldwide and found eight characteristics (Internet): (1) Leadership that develops the spiritual potential of the laity, (2) Gift-oriented ministry given by the power of the Holy Spirit, (3) ‘Passionate spirituality’ rather than just fulfilling one’s religious duties, (4) Functional structure according to the mission of the church, (5) Worship that inspires the work of the Holy Spirit regardless of style and language of worship, (6) Holistic small group activities that apply the message to their specific daily lives rather than just discussing Bible passages, (7) Needs of non-believers focus on evangelism, not "manipulating", and (8) Relationships that do not talk about love, but practice Christian love.   How about our church?   In order for our church to become a healthy church established by the Lord, what our chur...

  May we be of the same mind.       [Romans 15:1-6]     These days, I am studying Jonah 4 during the Bible study for leaders.   The more I study, the more the lesson God gives me is, in one word, 'Yet not my will, but Your be done.’   God's servant, the prophet Jonah, was angry with God for turning His will to bring disaster on the people of Nineveh who repented and turned from their sins.   Why?   Jonah wanted his will to be done rather than God's will to be done.   What was Jonah’s will?   It was the destruction of the people of Nineveh.   Jonah wanted God to bring disaster on the people of Nineveh with his life.     Looking at Jonah like this, I thought about how to know the maturity of faith.   In a word, I think the maturity of faith is to put down my own will in front of the cross and submit to the will of the Lord.   In other words, a mature Christian prays the prayer Jesus offered t...