06/20
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and said of him, Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile. . . . Nathanael said to Him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. John 1:47, 49
To Be A Christian
A doctor asked me: "What is to be a Christian?" I answered him: "To be a Christian is to trust in God, and to deliver all things to Him, your sins and transgressions included. It is to do to God as your patient would do to you; that is, a patient would trust in you and leave one's sick body entirely in your care. No more and no less. It is not necessarily to join any particular church, to pass through any set of ceremonies, to sign any form of doctrines. Faith in God, the Heavenly Father, that is the one thing needed, and all other good things follow as necessary consequences. The man said: "Then I too can be a Christian." I said: "You one, right now."
06/21
Woe to you, scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of extortion and excess. Matthew 23:25
Formalism
The gospel of externalism is dear to the human heart. It may take the form of culture and moralities, or of "services" and sacraments and churchly order, or of orthodoxy and philanthropy. . . The gospel of formalism will spring up and flourish on the most evangelical soil, and in the most strictly Pauline Churches. Let it be banned and barred out never so completely, it knows how to find entrance, under the simplest modes of worship and the soundest doctrine. The saw-toothed defence of Articles and Confessions constructed against it will not prevent its entrance, and may even prove its cover and entrenchment. Nothing avails, as the Apostle says, but a constant "new creation'' (Galatians 6:15).
06/22
Crying again with a loud voice, Jesus released His spirit. And, behold. The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And the earth quaked, and the rocks were sheared, and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose, and coming out of the tomb after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. But the centurion and those guarding Jesus, seeing the earthquake, and the things that took place, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this One was Son of God. Matthew 27:50-54
Solemnity of Death
Death of a person is solemn. It embodies something supernatural and mystic. At the deathbed, one cannot be a mere animal, nor merely an intellectual organism. One has to face spiritual and emotional confrontation with one's death seriously. At one's death, one longs a world of eternity. One intuitively knows one cannot die through natural death. Nothing can be compared to human death for solemnity and awfulness. Standing by the deathbed of our beloved, we cannot deny feeling like facing God in the heavenly Nation. This is for more than the saying "With his last breath, one gives out the best of one's own." The scene is sacred. Where the last of human breath is drawn, there abides God with His host of angels. Empty-headed as the earthly life may be, it unfailingly has one moment, when death visits, of absolute solemnity and of sacredness.
06/23
Cast your burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain you; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalms 55:22
Righteous Person
"Put your burden upon the Lord" and suffer not yourself to bear it. If you carry it by yourself, you will suffer in tolerable afflictions. Put it on Jehovah, who can not just bear your burden on your behalf, but also give you peace of mind. He will never allow his righteous elect to be affected. The so-called "righteous" of the world may be swung, but the righteous of God, the one who depends upon Him, or, who stands in righteous relation with Him is never swung. The righteous of God means a person of faith, a person of trust, a person who draws righteousness from God, and never a person who proclaims "I am righteous" but the one who clings to God's mercy, crying "Pity this head of sinners." And never will such a person of righteousness be moved.
06/24
O human, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you? Is it to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6: 8
What is Religion
Religion is not temple, church, monastery, ritual, scripture, and even the Bible. It is everlasting life, or to live in everlasting life. There is no religion without everlasting life. The mission of religion, therefore, is not mere preaching, propagation, social reform, national welfare, baptism, or Lord Supper, but rather to give birth the life of everlasting spirit and to care the spiritual self consciously. Religion has a specific object and clear goal as politics, economy and medicine do. It is not the art of self-satisfaction and consolation with music and eloquence, or vain talk of visionary. Religion is a solid enterprise to provide for practical needs.
06/25
God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So that you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4: 6-7
Grace of Christ
I am saved by the righteous work done by Christ on my behalf. This is why I can approach God boldly in spite of unworthy myself. Howsoever, I shall not ask His mercy for my own sake. But, if I ask for His mercy for Christ's sake, I can then confidently march on to God's throne, crying "Abba Father," though unworthy as I am. I have no merit to claim anything for. But, for the sake of Jesus, I can demand all things of my Father.
06/26
Instruction must be by instruction, precept by precept; line by line, letter by letter; here a little, there a little Isaiah 28:10
Little by Little
Pouring the Holy Spirit is the work of God over one's whole life. God pours us the Holy Spirit throughout our life little by little. We, impure and sinful beings, cannot receive the Holy Spirit at once. "First the blade, then the ear, after that the full grain in the ear" (Mark 4:28). Good receiving the Holy Spirit is gradual descendent. We hope that the Holy Spirit will not descend at once like storm, but waving down like soft wind. We hope that the Holy spirits will not descend like thunder, but like due drop in the morning. We hope not to come drastic change, except emergency.
06/27
He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; but we thought that He was stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed. Isaiah 53: 4-5
Walk in Law
The greatest thing is, not to conquer human but to be conquered by human. Resign your job if others demand; stand below others; suffer gladly other's insult; be spat and nailed to the cross. Thus done, and thus treated, we can only comprehend God's will. Alas, the high is lowered, and the low is heightened. Would you be heightened by God, be first kicked bottommost by human.
06/28
In Jesus Christ you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14
Trust in Jesus
I know not whether I am a good man or a bad man; I simply trust in Jesus. I know not whether I am doing good or evil; I simply trust in Jesus. I know not whether I can enter heaven or am to fall into hell; I simply trust in Jesus. I trust in Jesus, yes, I trust in Jesus. Whether I shall be lifted up to the height of heaven, or be cast down to the depth of hell, I shall ever trust in Jesus.
06/29
The path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more to the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18
Road of Righteous Person
Suppose one starts the least but ends the great. Suppose one begins with tears but finishes up with joy. Suppose one faces other's despise at the outset but receives glory at the end. Suppose one suffers from homeless at first but finds eternal home at last. Though God afflicts His beloved with pains first, He ultimately comforts us, "filled our mouth with joy, and our tongue with singing." (Psalms 126: 2). We shall begin our life with the Cross but end with the Resurrection and Ascension. May I too partake of this blessing.
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