Choose Cross, Not Cleverness

[S] Deuteronomy 30:6; 1 Corinthians 1:17 --
6  "Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
17  For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. 

[O] The original circumcision was a painful process in order to display the belongingness to God and then during the period of the Laws, this physical sign was a significant mark to set apart who was or was not part of God's people.  Today, however, through the works of the Holy Spirit the circumcision takes place in one's own heart by renewing the heart.  Even though this does not involve physical pain of cutting away flesh, but in some sense the same "pain" of renewing the heart must take place because why would it mean anything if it's attained so easily without much effort?  This is not about attaining some intellectual level of understanding but a supernatural way of change taking place in one's heart as it says in v.17 above, it is based on the message of the gospel, the cross of Christ.

[A] I feel like I am living out a watered-down way of living a Christ-follower's life these days.  I'm too comfortable to stay within the boundaries of non-conflicting relationship with not-yet believers.  I of course do not want to go around stirring up people for the sake of arguing but I should be challenging enough for others really hear the true message of the gospel without trying to be too "clever."

[P] Dear Father, I want to live out your disciple's life so the message of the cross be revealed to others who I work with.  Please continue to remind and teach me through the Holy Spirit to know what I should say when with others and allow me to have the boldness to say what I need to say, not what I feel comfortable saying.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Item for My Testimony Journal

[S] Numbers 33:8-9 --
8  They journeyed from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness; and they went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.  9  They journeyed from Marah and came to Elim; and in Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.

[O] This chapter of Moses' testimony of how God had led them out of Egypt through the wilderness he records these significant milestones.  He lists next to cross through the Red  Sea, the pitstop via Marah and Elim.  At first this pass-through didn't seem too significant but found out that there is a reason for Moses to record it in his testimony of God's mighty works.  The message of the wood that was thrown into the  bitter water to turn it into sweet water must have been a defining moment for him.  He was faced with grumbling Israelites and when they finally reached the pool of water they couldn't drink it due to its bitterness.  What a let down and a potential discouragement against God -- why did You even lead us here for?  Then the process of God's guiding him carefully to find that wood to throw into the water must have been significant because not only it was just a plain wood, in his mind he must have been thinking how can this be the solution God carefully guided me toward?  I can see how 1 Corinthians 1:18 -- For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God -- applies here because the message of the cross is nothing but foolishness to those who do not understand the true meaning and power behind it.  This wood is that message of the cross.

[A] Whenever I feel like God is asking me to do some "foolishness" thing, I should discern carefully to see if that is an invitation from God to join into His message of the cross.

[P] Dear Father, may my life be filled with the testimonies of Marah experiences where what I think to be foolishness turn into Your amazing saving grace and the message of the Cross shining right through.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

At the Cross-roads of Foolishness and Power of God

[S] 1 Corinthians 1:18 --
 ¹⁸For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

[O] Lately, I've been prompted frequently to the message of the Cross as if God was asking me:  Do you really understand the message behind the Cross Jesus Christ carried?  I knew the textbook answer but somehow I couldn't answer with a confident "yes" because deep inside I knew it was much deeper than the simple definition of where Jesus died for our sins.  It is where my God exemplified what sacrificing His all for me was and in turn for me to do just that because only then I will rise up in the power of God which raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  So, while the spiritual climate these days are so hostile towards Christianity just the thing they consider foolish -- the message of the Cross -- is where I can draw the supernatural power from to live out the life God called me to live out.

[A] Without applying this message of the Cross in my life, there is no way I can serve God because anything short of that will just be fooling myself in thinking I'm doing something for God.  But He does not really need my help, does He?  He wants my heart of obedience leading to total surrender/sacrifice.  As I am disturbed by this thought right now, I am sure He will clearly show me the application as I continue to chew on how to apply the message of His Cross into my own personal life.

[P] Dear Father, You taught me through las Sunday's message about how Your will be done in my own life first.  I want to ask You to do just that as a scary request it may be.  I want to go back to Job 28:28 where he concluded the fear of God is the wisdom and I will claim that You will plant the wisdom based on my awesome fear of You who sent me the message of the Cross.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Lawfully Edifying

[S] 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 --

 ²³All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
 ²⁴Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.

[O] Being lawful to me is to comply to a certain set of rules and regulations whether it's for the society I live in or the spiritual community I am a part of.  Paul makes it clear that being lawful does not automatically translate into being profitable or edifying others and can easily lead down the path of selfish pride.  So, flipping this concept around, I need to consider profitability and edification of others first before the aspect of following the rules because it's so easy to say "I did it" than to say "I cared for others through their challenges."

Now, I need to think about specific ways I can be profitable and edifying others around me.  More so than the material offerings my time and attention given to others may bring more value in the long run.

[A] Live others-centric life.  I should be lawful so others around me can be blessed by God, not just to say I am compliant.  Do one act of kindness within the context of being lawful in the next week that will bless others.

[P] Dear Jesus, You have lived your earthly life to complete this concept of being totally lawful and yet totally profitable and edifying us through your conformity of the "Cross."  May I live my life following after that spirit.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Not Nullifying the Grace

[S] Galatians 2:21 --
 ²¹"I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."

[O] As we approach the Easter my mind's been wondering along the paths of Jesus' journey to Calvary, bearing His Cross for us through all the humiliation and deep suffering no human cannot withstand.  The vivid pictures from the Passion of Christ movie flashes back and forth but there is more to it than the external visualization of His suffering because the suffering of His detachment from God through loneliness probably was far greater pain.  This wasn't some good humane effort for some portion of the human population on earth but the God of the universe abandoning His throne to come down as a sacrifice for our inadequacies to satisfy God's righteousness. This one man who is also a full God has paved the path as He carried that Cross down that path to Calvary.

[A] Meditate more on the deeper and personal meaning of the Cross for my life.  How should it reflect in my life?  Or is it reflecting in my life at all now?  I need to be broken more inside as I sense more areas in my life that are calloused hard over the years of living a Christian life without applying the word specifically into my life.

[P] Thank You, Jesus, for taking the Cross to Your own crucifixion through all the pain and suffering because of that I can be freed from my own limitation here on earth to enter into the Heavenly Kingdom to unite again with You.  May I live my life here on earth to reflect this joy and hope with the backdrop of Your Cross to not nullify the grace which You poured out for me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.