Sharing is Caring

  A man whose faith comes through Jesus       [Acts 3:11-16]     Scottish pastor Samuel Rutherford once said, ‘Christ carries the wind.   God has placed you beside Christ, facing the same direction as Christ.   Therefore, you cannot expect a sheltered, windless spot on the mountainside.’   In this statement, it implies that just as we walk in the same direction as Christ, we too must live carrying the wind. In other words, we cannot move forward without facing resistance (Tozer).   However, human instinct longs for the sheltered, windless spot on the mountainside.   Pastor Tozer stated in his book "That Incredible Christian" regarding 'true faith' and 'false faith': ‘A person with genuine faith does not shy away from any suffering in order to partake in Christ's victory.   On the other hand, a person with counterfeit faith is only certain of wanting no part of the wind, but desiring the sheltered, windless spot o...

The sincere faith         “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:5).         Timothy, the spiritual son of the Apostle Paul, was a possessor of sincere faith.   Like his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois, he had a faith without hypocrisy in his heart.   He could truly be nothing less than a precious holder of faith.   His name suits him well.   The name "Timothy" means "God's treasure" (Park).   Such a possessor of faith is indeed a true disciple of Jesus.   In other words, a genuine disciple of Jesus possesses a faith without deceit in their heart.   A faith without deceit means faithful faith, faith without hypocrisy, and genuine and sincere faith.   As an example, we can consider the faith of Abraham mentioned in Romans 4:18-21.   Abraham's ...

Day 6: Distrust, disobedience, discontentment         “But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 1:32).                       Those who believe in God obey His word.   And those who obey God's word believe in Him.   The more we obey God's word, the more we experience His guidance, leading us to have even greater faith in Him.   When we obey God, we come to know Him more as our God.   Those who do not believe in God disobey His word.   And those who disobey God's word do not believe in Him.   The more we disobey God's word, the less we experience His guidance, leading us to dwell more in disbelief.   When we disobey God, we become more ignorant not only about God's nature but also about ourselves, making us prone to sin more against God in our hearts, driven by arrogance and pride.   The wicked fr...

  Day 23: Acts 23:1       A righteous life of faith     A righteous life of faith entails, firstly, serving God with a clear conscience in all things.  Paul boldly confessed before the gathering of priests and council members that he served God with a clear conscience in all things.  Like Paul, we should strive to have a good conscience every day.   Secondly, it means despising hypocrisy.  Paul referred to the high priest Ananias as a "whitewashed wall."  This expression means looking beautiful on the outside but being filled with all sorts of filth on the inside (Sang-seop Yoo).  In other words, it signifies a disconnect between outward appearance and inner reality.  We should disdain such hypocrisy.   Thirdly, it means being led by God's word.  We should live in obedience to God's word, not fearing people, but revering God.

  Day 19: Acts 3:12       The possessor of faith through Jesus       The possessor of faith through Jesus does not desire to be the center of attention.  When Peter, in the name of Jesus Christ, healed a lame man, all the people focused on Peter and John.  At that moment, Peter clearly stated that it was not by their own power or godliness that the man was made to walk (Acts 3:12).  Indeed, the true possessor of faith understands that being in the spotlight is strange, for he knows his own inadequacy and acknowledges his lack of power.  When he views his own piety in the light of Christ's holiness, he realizes it is nothing.  He also knows that what has been accomplished is not by his own doing, so receiving the attention of people can be burdensome.  The one who possesses faith through Jesus gives glory only to God, for he understands that it is fitting for God alone to receive glory.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/mothers-of-the-soul  

Let us seek the maturity of faith.       [Romans 14:1-12 ]     How do you resolve conflicts and disputes at home, at work, or in interpersonal relationships?   Of course, in order to resolve conflicts and disputes first, we must identify (diagnose) the causes of those conflicts and disputes.   For example, conflicts and disputes in the relationship between husband and wife or father and son in the family, conflicts and disputes in the relationship between brothers and sisters in the church, and why there are conflicts and disputes must first be identified so that existing conflicts or disputes can be resolved.   While meditating on the Word of God, centered on 2 Samuel 3:30, during the early morning prayer meeting last Tuesday, I thought about the incident in which King David's general Joab took revenge on Abner, King Saul's general who killed his brother Asahel.   The key lesson I came to realize while thinking about these w...