DAY 92C: “ALIVE! ALIVE! THE WORDS ARE ALIVE!”

I have heard the best testimony today. A close relative’s landlady, a middle aged housewife who has been depressed and suicidal for sometime, has uttered these amazing words one day recently, “Alive! Alive! These words are alive!”
When the lodger moved into her new lodging in February this year, the landlady was a severely depressed Chinese housewife who sat whole day by herself and hardly spoke a word. The two ladies could not communicate with each other much because they could hardly speak the other’s language. The lodger is a Spirit-filled Christian and often sings in tongue. Sometimes she and her visitor would sit in the room and prayed in tongues. When the landlady heard the tongue she recalled the time when she was converted from an idol worshipper to a Christian, about two years ago. She could speak in tongue then but only for a short period. After that she could not utter a sound. She sank into depression regularly and became suicidal. The lodger shared with her some Biblical truth and encouraged her to read the Bible.
At first the landlady said she could not read or understand the Bible and she hardly read any books for that matter. The lodger brought her to her prayer group meeting where a few elderly people attended regularly to pray in tongues quietly. They have no other agenda. After the landlady attended the prayer meeting for three times, she started to pray in tongue. She spent whole day and days coughing. She coughed out a lot of stuff. Then one day she regained her ability to pray in tongue. She started to read the Chinese Bible fervently and one day she ran to the lodger with the Chinese Bible in her hands,and exclaimed, “Alive! Alive! These words are alive! They speak to me!”
She was overjoyed and her whole countenance changed from gloom to peace and joy. Then she developed the gift to sing spiritual song as well. She went to cell group meetings and shared her wonderful recovery and supernatural healing. Although she could not understand English she asked her son to buy her a New King James Version Bible and has started to read Genesis in English with the help of her son every night. As her husband has lost their fortune (including their home), her dream was to have another house of their own.
One day she asked the lodger to join her in prayer for the nation. She told the lodger that she heard the Spirit told her that “without a nation, how can you ever think of having your home?” So she fasted and prayed for the nation regularly.
This is an amazing testimony. I can share her joy about the Bible being alive and real.
AAA Jack

DAY 92: HE WILL FEED HIS FLOCK LIKE A SHEPHERD

In this era of lean and hungry years, what an average man worries most is whether there will be a next meal when the savings run out in the budgeted time frame (assuming inflation remains unchanged). Will there be food or not? Reading “The Road”, a 2006 novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy, a post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father and his young son over a period of several months, across a landscape blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed all civilization and, apparently, most life on earth, makes one realize how important food is.

Sometimes I think of how I should best prepare myself for contingency. When a global food shortage occurs, those who are used to fasting and praying will come out as winners. I know of a Bible school requires the students to fast three days before they are awarded the certificate of graduation. Students often think of all sorts of excuses but the alternative is to quit the Bible school. The amazing thing is no one quits and all go through with flying colors! All the sicknesses and weaknesses they had earlier feared did not occur. A more amazing thing is that after they personally experience the benefits of fasting, they volunteer to do more of it and in their own time. Some have acquired this as a life long habit.

I have not yet acquired this wonderful habit. My dream is that one day I could overcome the psychological and spiritual hindrance and make my faith leap.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them to His bosom,, and gently lead those who are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11)
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)

Jesus knows our fear. He gave the above assurance. Prior to deliberate living Biblically, I had lived a simple life. During my quest to live Biblically, I have learned even simpler living. Yet I live without any lack. I live on the lifestyle equivalent to that of an ordinary office clerk and I live comfortably.

When my fortune is restored fully (i.e. all my larger debtors pay up), I shall continue to live the same simple life. I have no desire for a wasteful and abusive life, binging on food and drink and luxury stuff. What do I want my original fortune restored for? I believe when the Lord restores, He will show me His purpose as well.

The Bible is full of clues left behind by those who really knew the Lord as their shepherd. The rich and famous King David is one who has left a lot of such clues. As a king he needed not worry about where his next meal would come from, yet he continued to look to God as his provider and focus on God day and night as his ultimate source of security. Read psalms and know what I mean.

I pray you too find you need not want or lack by making the Lord (Jesus) as your Shepherd. Be secure as His sheep.

AAA Jack (a sheep of Jesus Christ)
June 4, 2009

Day six：why rejoice exceedingly when being persecuted?

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)
“If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.” (1 Peter 4:14)
As a Christian who speaks out for Jesus we are ridiculed and even reproached. I usually avoided such occurrences. But my wife is a brave woman and she is determined to share the Gospel with her ailing father. Her brothers scolded her and even threatened her. At times it was so bad that she cried. Of course she felt hurt under the insult and ill treatment from her siblings. She became sad and miserable.
If being persecuted results in unhappy feelings, then what did Jesus mean when He asked us to do the opposite? How can one rejoice exceedingly when one normally feels hurt and being unfairly treated?
Today when I read these two verses spoken by Jesus and their cross reference to 1 Peter 4:14, I realized that Jesus was right. Being persecuted for Jesus’ sake is a good thing and signs of a lot of good happenings!
1. You are raised to the status of the prophets.
2. Great reward immediately comes from heaven.
3. The Holy Spirit rests on you.
4. God considers you glorifying Him.
Of course, the evil person (bully who persecutes you) cannot get off scot free, as he has blasphemed against the Holy Spirit! Jesus has warned that those who blasphemed against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32)
Application: I share with my wife about what I read and she feels comforted now. As for me, I pray that I will not be afraid to stand up for my faith too. Again, it is a matter of whether I care about living before God more than living before man. I need to really ponder on this.
AAA Jack
2009-03-03

Day four & five: living before God or before men?

I took two days to review what I learned on the previous days. I realized that it was not as simple as I had thought and written on the first three days. My heart was not at peace when I wanted to proceed further. So I read the eight important verses again and again in Matthew 5:3-10. Why was Jesus saying these to the crowd on that mountain at the beginning of His ministry? Why were they recorded at the beginning of the first book of the New Testament?
What was the most important thing Jesus had to say before He could carry on to other matters? Jesus Himself provided the answer. He came to save the world (Jews and non-Jews). He brought salvation. The above verses were His declaration of purpose and method of achieving the purpose. The purpose is salvation to all who believe. The salvation content include: eternal life for the present and the future, meeting our needs for food, security, belonging, and social, emotional, mental (self-esteem, actualization), and spiritual goals.
Yes, salvation brings the believer citizenship in the kingdom of heaven, membership in the household of God, inheritance of property, fulfillment with all good things, comfort and peace with God (and with men), receiving mercy and compassion from God (and forgiving relationship with other men), intimate relationship with God (having the reality of God’s presence in life).
What are the requirements? Yes there are things each one must do to receive all the above.
1. Be humble (acknowledge not just in one’s mouth, but in one’s heart too that one really needs God)
2. Be real about one’s miserable condition (without God and without hope) and wants a change desperately.
3. Be gentle and thankful that God is willing to free one from all the miseries and give one a more abundant life.
4. Be truly yearning (as in hunger and thirst) for Jesus and the righteousness He brings!
5. Be merciful and forgiving to others (grateful that God has forgiven you).
6. Be God-focus in one’s heart (not distracted or diverted by things of the world, including financial/business/marriage/relationship failures, sickness etc.).
7. Be helpful to others, lead them to reconcile with God too!
8. Be dignified as the citizen of the kingdom of heaven (not afraid of others’ ridicule or even persecutions).
Application: Now that I know it is all about God’s plan, I find it easier to think of application. On the other hand, the requirements are not a one off act, but an ongoing process, a life-long process that demands consistency in actions and steadfastness of the heart. It is not easy at all!
AAA Jack
2-3-09