The Repentant Sheep

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. [Luke 15:4-7]

Jesus likens one sinner who repents with the lost sheep. Here's a very, very simple question: how did the sheep repent?

"Baa"

I doubt that the sheep fell on its knees and was crying bitterly. It knew no better! All that it did was to let the shepherd carry it.

Repentance is this: reliance on Christ. Letting Jesus take your problems and take you and bring you into abundant life.

So rest in Jesus. Let Him do all the work. Trust Him for all the grace that you need; the supply that you ever need. That's repentance, as Jesus defined it!

30 October 2013

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” -John 8:31-32

These Jews were being self-conscious and judged themselves righteous according to what they have done. Jesus then rebuked them and told them the evidence of being a true believer: holding fast to Christ's teaching (eg. Sermon on the Mount, Great Commission, etc)

This is another evidence, NOT SOURCE, of a true believer: that he holds to Christ's teachings. If we see ourselves lacking in this area, the antidote is not to try to do good. The antidote is to ask God to show us which areas we can repent (change our mind) from, and to trust that He who began a good work in us will carry it to completion until He returns (Philippians 1:6)

29 October 2013

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.” -John 7:50-52

Galileans in 30 AD to the religious Jews are like the untouchables to the religious folk in India. They are the rejected group who no one cares about.

The amazing thing is that God always glorifies the humble. God calls the first, on their own effort, last, and the last, the ones who give up on themselves and see themselves wholly in Christ, first. It's always the lost, last and least who seems to receive God's divine favor.

You may see yourself in an extremely pathetic state or a helpless being. My advice is this: give up. Give up on yourself and trust Jesus to do the work for you, through you. Get ready to see God's abundant favor on your life, because Christ has become your everything.

28 October 2013

Whoever believes in me (Jesus), as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. -John 7:38

One of the evidences that we have truly accepted Christ as Lord and Savior is that we bring life to people around us. We see that people become happier when they hang out with us; and this is effortless!

It is effortless because we are not the ones trying to bless others, but that Christ blesses others through us! Christ is our life and we can't help it pass it on to the people whom we love and cherish. It's second-nature attribute is an evidence of a true Christian.

27 October 2013

And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him..." -John 9:2-3

Recently, I've been confused with one thing: God's will in my studies. My question was this: why aren't other Bible-believing, on-fire-for-God Christians seeing God's prosperity in results while I am. For a long time, I struggled with this: maybe God DOESN'T want us to prosper.

Then, I believe it was the Lord who led me to this passage. The content is pretty self-explanatory, but here's the revelation: if you are questioning God, "Why aren't You prospering me like so-and-so?" or something like that, God's answer is that it's because He wants to work in you for your breakthrough.

If you're feeling trapped in merely superficial friendships, tensions with parent(s), rebellion with authority, undesirable grades and basically a terrible life, get ready to see God's breakthrough for you!

26 October 2013

"...Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me (Jesus) for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly." -John 7:23-24

If you ever feel like you've been unfairly judged, that someone have judged you but spared his friend despite doing the exact same thing as you, then let me say this: your Lord, Jesus, have been through the exact same injustice!

How did Jesus react to further attack from His challengers? He remembers His identity in God, that He is the Father's and the Father is His

What I'm saying is this: when people wrong you (when, not if, because people WILL wrong you), run to the arms of your Father. He will never wrong you at all. You are His, and when God is for you, who can ever stop you? (Romans 8:31)

23 October 2013

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. -2 Corinthians 3:17

This morning, my encouragement is that if you feel bound by the circumstances, it's time to declare your freedom. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Freedom from depression, hatred, jealousy, sin, anger, confusion. Cherish your freedom in Christ!