Dig Around and Fertilize

[S] Luke 13:8-9 --
8 And he answered and said to him, `Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'"

[O] The vineyard owner was fed up with not finding any fruit from this fig tree that's been barren for three years and wanted to cut down the tree.  But the vineyard-keeper persuaded the owner to let it grow for the rest of this year and to wait next year's harvest time and see if it'll bear fruits; if not, then he will cut it down.  The ultimatum still existed but he was willing to use the time he requested to nurture and fertilize through his caring in order for this tree to bear delicious and sweet figs the following year.  Our days are numbered in God's timeline and the judgment day is unavoidable, however God's grace if extended to the last minute for us to bear the spiritual fruits He designed for me to bear.

[A] I don't know what is but the vineyard-keeper's heart touched me as I read "until I dig around it and put in fertilizer" because that is not a simple task.  It may have been his commitment to care so that tree won't perish too soon. I gotta have the same mindset when it comes to participating in His ministry -- beyond and above our own limitations, having the "until I dig around it and put in fertilizer" mentality towards those He had entrusted under my care.

[P] Dear God, I'm just amazed how You chose to work through me who is so inadequate.  May my heart soak up this vineyard-keeper's heart which is the heart of Jesus Christ our Lord toward me.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Dressed for Readiness

[S] Luke 3:1 --
35 ``Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.

[O] I get dressed every morning and at times I ponder long enough to decide on what to wear in accordance with my day's activities.  I sure wouldn't want to wear a formal attire when I'm about to go play some soccer.  Likewise, I need to spiritually plan and dress up accordingly to what I am about to face.  Well, every moment is going to be challenging because our opponents will not leave us alone but attack us relentlessly, so I must be dressed in readiness and keep my lamps lit to take action at all times.

[A] This starts with how alert my mind is.  I need to dress up my spiritual armor every morning before I start the day.

[P] Dear Father, may You dress me up every morning to be ready to respond to Your calling as well as to our enemy's attacks.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Accusers are Standing Very Close To You

[S] Zechariah 3:1 --
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

[O] No matter how much God's power is at work, Satan never rests to take cheap shots at us to discourage us.  Here we see how Satan standing next to Joshua accusing him of wearing the filthy clothes so he won't be available to receive God's grace of replacing that clothes with fine new clothes.  So many times, Satan reminds me of how unfit I am to do anything for God.  While that is a true statement, God is not going to leave me in that state but to renew me by His saving grace so that I may be more than worth to carry out His plans here on earth.

[A] Continue to dig into God's grace whenever I hear the voice of Satan accusing me of how unworthy I am.

[P] Dear Father, I'm so grateful for making me worthy to become Your son and to do your will here on earth.  May You always be praised through my life.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Live a Life with Full Authority Given

[S] Luke 10:19 --
19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

[O] I am given a powerful authority in this world to tread over the enemy's power and I will have 100% protection from God.  The key is not how much authority God gave me but how much of my life reflects such an authority in my daily living.

[A] Live a confident and powerful life with authority over all the enemy's power.  I need to remind myself how much authority God has given me to live in this world.  So, let's use it!

[P] Dear Father, thank You for empower me with such a great authority over the enemy.  Thank You also for protecting me.  I feel I'm getting beat up these days by the enemy but I will claim this word from You about not getting injured at all.  I am going to stand up for You and to shine Your light in this world.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Minimizing Myself to Maximize God's Power

[S] Luke 9:3, 6, 24 --
3 And He said to them, ``Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. 6 Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

[O] Dr. Luke recorded Jesus' teaching about minimizing what I have in order to maximize God's presence and power (v.6).  The statement: "Take nothing for your journey ... do not even have two tunics" challenges me who has so much stuff and gathers even more to feel secure about my future as well as doing God's ministry.  These disciples who "took nothing" in their missionary journey reached the surrounding areas bringing God's power of healing everywhere.

[A] The focus is not necessarily having less, but making room to fill more of myself in God's power through the filling of the Holy Spirit.  This passage convicts my heart to re-examine to see how reliant I am on God's sole providing power to carry out His ministry in and through my life vs. relying on my own provision because the former will let God produce amazing results while the latter will end up with most toys of my own but not much fruitful in God's eyes.

[P] Dear Jesus, even though very difficult, I want to "take nothing" on this journey of my life with You so Your power may transparently flow through touching others.  Please hear my prayers.  In Your name.  Amen.

One Loud Shout for God

[S] Ezra 3:13; Luke 8:39 --
13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.
39 ``Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. 

[O] The amazing sound described here is the people's response to setting the foundation of the temple in their efforts of rebuilding it.  They could not hide their excitement just after seeing the foundational work completed and signifies a time of realizing how great their God was and how He will keep His promise of restoring His people back to the temple of God.  In Luke, Jesus tells the man released from demon possession to go back and proclaim greatly what Jesus had done for him -- testify.

[A] When God moves in the midst of His people, there ought to be testimonies with a resounding sound.  If not, there is something missing there -- God Himself -- because all the noise will be about one human running into another.  I want my life to be full of His testimonies being shouted out so others will know that God is indeed alive in my life.

[P] Dear Jesus, please continue to work in my life.  Please continue to show Yourself in me.  And please forgive me for being so silent about what great things you are doing in and around my life.  I give You the glory and also the loud shout of thanksgiving in total excitement.  May You be lifted up tomorrow during our Sunday worship service.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Good Seed of Leadership

[S] Luke 6:12-13 --
12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.13 And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:

[O] Building up a leadership of people to lead others is one of the most critical factors in parking in His ministry abundantly because without these leaders the ministry will not scale up to reach the world.  There are many models on how to reach the world but they all start with a good seed of leadership.  No wonder Jesus went off to the mountain to pray all night talking with God before choosing the twelve of them.  These twelve at first look seemed unfit to carry out such a daunting task (and some failed miserably) but in the end we know that these chosen by and through prayer did just that of turning the world upside down.

[A] In a position to raise and train small group leadership, I am more than challenged to follow His footsteps.  Why is that I am not praying more in this area?  I need to cut out the distractions and get down to business.

[P] Dear Father, I come to You now as a wake-up call to seek Your direction and guidance in raising up small groups leaders in our church.  I do not want to rely on my own (or other people's) thoughts and feelings but to spend the quantity of time with You so my heart will be totally immersed in Your Spirit to be led by Him.  Thank You for choosing a prodigal like me to be used for ministry.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.