06/01
When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2: 1-4
Problem of Life
Whoever can live without the problem of life? All people suffer from life, and it is the greatest problem of all. But, once the power of God is poured forth, the question of suffering, totally incomprehensible as it is, will instantly be dissolved. Many a person who contacts with Christianity and studies the Bible, is apt to face a keen tension with the problem of life. All the problem, however, shall melt away if and when God's Holy Spirit is received, leaving behind the unspeakable gratefulness alone. You therefore pray for the advent of the Holy Spirit. The deeper and grander of the advent can nevertheless be attained only by step by step. Thus, we are to aim at an everlasting advance from knowledge to knowledge, from faith to faith.
06/02
Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brothers, James and Joses and Simon and Judas, and his sisters, are they not all with us? Then from where does this man have all these things? Matthew 13:55-56
Jesus without Titles
Jesus was not the Pope, nor the Bishop, nor the Pastor, nor the Missionary, nor the Ph.D. He did not put a mitre on his head nor embellished garments around his body. He was, in fact, never a man of the clergy. He never received a salary for his faith. He was simply a plain man of Nazareth, engaged in his father's occupation, carpentry. Thus he knew God intuitively, not by accumulating religious knowledge at the theological school or an institute of philosophy. I adore him because he was a great plain man.
06/03
The Lord Jehovah will do nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord Jehovah has spoken; who will not prophesy? Amos 3: 7-8
Truth and Prophecy
Whoever speaks the truth is a prophet. There is no understanding of the truth without prophecy. To true humanity, prophecy is a necessary condition. Prophecy is a warning not to avoid the judgement, but to realize the judgement of God when it takes place and to repent and be saved. Without prophecy, a judgment is regarded as a mere disaster and not recognized as the righteous will of God. In that case, the judgement will become a bothering occurrence and not lead to repentance for salvation. Blessed is the nation which has a prophet.
06/04
We ourselves also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, slaving for various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, disputing one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward human appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3: 3-6
Mercy of Salvation
I was saved, not according to, but against my will. I loved this world, but God crushed all my worldly attempts and compelled me to look nowhere but to the world to come. I craved for human love, but God sent me many opponents to disappoint me about mankind and forced me to rely on the Father in Heaven. If my life had been as I desired, I would certainly be spending now a common human life without God and the world to come. I was obliged by God to come to His salvation. So, on my own part, nothing merits my salvation.
06/05
The time is fulfilled, and the Nation of God is at hand; repent you, and believe the gospel. Mark 1:15
Repentance
"Repentance" has a deep meaning in the New Testament. Repentance is not to be sorry for a sin and amend it. The original word "metanoia" means "transforming of mind." This implies to change the purpose of life. Life errors completely without knowing true God, the Father of Christ. To repent and believe in the gospel means to transform mind by believing in the gospel. Jesus taught us to change our view of the whole creation. He taught us not merely to renew our mind but to transform our view about all creation. From this we come to know that "repentance" relates not only to sentiment but also to intellect. "Repentance" means transformation of inner eyes to view the whole creation. Believe in the gospel, believe the words of God's mind. View the whole creation as God looks upon it. Unite your mind with Him.
06/06
You shall not eat of flesh with the life in it, or the blood of it. Genesis 9: 4
Food and Character
When our Lord said: "Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a person; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a person" (Matthew 15:11), He stated a religious principle, not physiological or moral effect. Physiologically, that which goes into the mouth does defile a human, and when it continued as a habit, defiles moral. That is to say, one's food does affect one's character. A meat-eater becomes carnivorous, and a vegetable-eater becomes sheep-like. Beefsteak-fed men and women can never be expected to be the meek followers of the Prince of Peace. Their passionateness, aggressiveness, and boundless ambition for world-domination, testify to the strong animal nature of their food.
06/07
I am the Vine, you are the branches. One who abides in Me, and I in him or her, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. John 15: 5
Act with Prayer
A person of prayer is not a person who just professes prayer. He or she is a person who does things with prayer. Or better still, he or she is a person who cannot do anything unless with prayer. He or she studies with prayer. He or she works with prayer. He or she struggles with prayer. In fact, he or she does everything in and by the power of God, instead of one's own.
06/08
Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Journey of Christian
Don't upset hardships of life. Faith in God will make your life the easiest to live. When I leave myself entirely to my God, my duties will be done by myself, my deserting friends will leave without compelling, my bound friends will come without asking, my corruptions will vanish in due time, and my portions will come to me without demanding. A Christian's life is effortless way. He or she simply goes to God. Then God will cater for all his needs. Blessed be the Father, my God.
06/09
Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. . . I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And they shall no more teach their neighbor and their brother, saying, Know the LORD; for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more. Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34
New Bible
The Bible is great. But Christ living is greater than the Bible. We miss the mark if we do not touch Him by studying the Bible. The Bible records Christ's activities in the past. We ought to make the Bible anew by receiving His spirit to-day. Nobody can truly understand the Bible without making a new Bible by reading the old Bible. The Bible has yet to be completed. And we are to furnish the materials to add to its last pages.
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