January 27:  Accepting His Love.

HIS ASSESSMENT.
"Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them."--Luke 21:3

When my husband was a little boy, he used to bring little gifts to his mom, whom he loved very much.  He collected shiny papers from the street or food from parties.  His mother always received him and his presents with utter appreciation.  One time, he decided to bring her ice-cream, which he placed in his pocket and headed home.  When he arrived, the ice-cream had melted.  She took off his little pants and, before washing the stains, she licked the pocket in front of him and said: "This tastes so good, thank you for bringing me this ice-cream!"

Jesus revealed that God's assessment of our gifts to Him is not dependent on their value or human recognition.  God sees the heart, the motive behind the action.  Jesus made a strong exhortation against becoming like the hypocritical scribes who walked around in long robes in order to show off their socio-religious status; they also loved the best seats in the synagogues and banquets (see Luke 20:46, 47).  Jesus also spoke against their defrauding of widows and their long prayers to impress others (verse 47).  That's when Luke narrates that Jesus saw a paradoxical contrast in the temple: "He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.  And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins" (Luke 21:1, 2).  Later Jewish material points out that there were thirteen containers in the courts of women where offerings could be deposited for the temple treasury.  The rich gave impressive amounts; this poor widow gave two leptas, the smallest Jewish coin in circulation at the time.  But Jesus publicly assessed that she put in "more than all of them" (verse 3).  The rich had given from their surplus, but she had given her livelihood (verse 4).  When it comes to your response of love to God's infinite love, do not measure your talents, money, energy, time, and resources by comparing them to those of others.  God knows your heart and is pleased with your passionate and loving response.  Your gifts to His kingdom touch His heart, even if they are like melted ice-cream.  He gave all, emptying Himself, leaving His place of honor, in order to purchase our salvation.  In response, let's bring Him our all!

My Response:______________________________________________

January 26:  Accepting His Love.

HIS OWNERSHIP.
"Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."--Revelation 7:2, 3

In our Jesus 101 ministry, we use a stamp that has our website and other important information.  We use it to stamp books and other resources that belong to our ministry.  A seal or a stamp is a mark of ownership.  That's why when I visit my parent's tomb, I find great comfort reading the verse inscribed on their tombstone: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!" (Isaiah 43:1).  They rest in Jesus until His second coming, in total assurance because they are His.  You and I can live with the same certainty.


When it comes to the future and end-time events, I realize that many people live with fear and utter anxiety.  Yet, through the blood of Jesus, we have God's assurance, and He bids us to choose faith over fear.  One of those certainties is that we are His!  Revelation 7 starts with four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the winds of destruction, until God's servants are sealed (Revelation 7:1).  God is in control of everything!  He decides what He allows and when, and it all serves His redeeming purposes.  God sends an angel who is to "stamp" each servant of God before the final troubles come to the earth.  A helpful visualization is to imagine a signet ring (used in the first century) that imprints the name of God and the Lamb on the forehead of each one of God's own people.  The mark announces to the whole universe, "This one is Mine!"  It is a symbol for protection and ownership.  Throughout the book of Revelation, God's servants, who pledge allegiance to the Lamb, bear His mark of ownership (see Revelation 9:4; 14:1; 22:4).  The Holy Spirit testifies to our own spirits that we are His and that we have an inheritance guaranteed by the Lamb (See Ephesians 1:13, 14; 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22).  In other words, the seal gives the assurance of salvation to those who trust in the merits of Christ.  "The Lord knows those who are His" (2 Timothy 2:19).  Whether you are facing sickness, death, difficulties, challenges, or uncertainties, believe what God is telling you: "You are mine!"

My Response:________________________________________________

January 25:  Accepting His Love.

HIS HOUR
Jesus knowing that His hour had come...having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.--John 13:1

I had imagined this moment for a long time, and now everything was on the line.  Several years earlier, I had started my PhD program, and now it was time to defend my dissertation.  I flew from Los Angeles to London the day before my defense.  My degree, my future, all my efforts, and thousands of dollars, were at stake as I entered the room.  It was a court-type setting; the professors sat directly in front of me, the doctoral arbiter between us.  The hour had come.

Sometimes we are preparing our whole lives for a specific moment.  God had been planning for His hour since the foundation of the world.  Beginning with the first miracle of Jesus in the Gospel of John, the reader is informed that Jesus knows that His hour will eventually arrive, "My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4).  We can follow the progression of Jesus toward the cross through the statements about "His hour" (see John 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1).  As we move closer to Passover Friday, Jesus becomes aware that His hour has finally arrived; "Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come..." (John 13:1).  John wants us to understand that Jesus is always in control and submitting Himself to the Father.  There was a plan, and He was fulfilling it.  The hour of His glory would be on the cross; therefore, His passion is repeatedly described as His glory (John 12:2; 13:31, 32; 17:1, 4).  The eternal clock of heaven sounded the alarm to redeem the human race.  Everything had been orchestrated in God's salvific plan: "When the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:4, 5).  There is an appointed time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1); the birth and death of Jesus had been planned, and He voluntarily submitted to the plan because of His love for you and me.  His hour came, He went through it, and He was victorious.  Now He invites us to trust His plan, His love, His timing, and the efficacy of His hour.

My Response:_______________________________________________

January 24:  Accepting His Love.

HIS REINSTATEMENT.
"Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"  He said to Him, "Yes, Lord, You know that I love You,"  He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."--John 21:16

We met in a public place; her eyes betrayed her lack of sleep and weariness of spirit.  she had hit bottom, in a downward spiral of substance abuse, feeling helpless and hopeless.  As we continued to see each other, over time she started trusting that God had something better for her.  Several months later she was offered a position as a university professor.  Her strength and confidence were renewed, her spirit flamboyant, and her faith in God fully restored.  She became a bright arrow, pointing to a graceful God.

So, is there ministry after failure?  Can God use us for His glory after a serious misstep?  I am so glad you asked!  After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples a third time by the Sea of Galilee and prepared a breakfast for them (John 21:12-14).  They had worked all night but had caught nothing, and Jesus miraculously caused them to catch a large quantity of fish (see verses 1-11).  This event is similar to the one narrated in Luke 5, at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus, except that this time it is right after Peter had denied Jesus three times (John 18:25-27; Mark 14:66-72); he no longer has all the answers and his confidence is shattered.  As Peter had denied Him three times, now Jesus offers him the opportunity to declare his love for Him three times (John 21:15-27).  Peter humbly responds thrice: "You know that I love You" (John 21:15-17).  Jesus reinstates Peter's original calling and bids him, "Tend My sheep."  Those of us who have tasted Jesus' extraordinary forgiveness in our own lives are called to proclaim His grace boldly.

          I waited patiently for the Lord;
          And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
          He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay.
          And He set my foot upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
          He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
          (Psalm 40:1-3).
Amen!

My Response:________________________________________________________

January 23:  Accepting His Love.

HIS PERSISTENCE.
And Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you have come for."--Matthew 26:50

When we were airing our TV series Radical Discipleship,* based on stories about the disciples of Jesus, I received a comment from a viewer saying that he didn't believe that Jesus had consented to Judas being His disciple.  But even though Jesus could read Judas's heart, He didn't reject him (see Luke 6:13).  Instead He exposed him to His grace.  Still, I completely understand this viewer's sentiment, as Judas may very well be the most despised man in history; his name is synonymous with heinous betrayal.

The Gospels often note the betrayal of Judas (for example, see Luke 6:16; John 12:4).  Judas was the only one among the disciples who was given a specific function: to be in charge of their funds (John 13:29).   Even though appearing pious, he was dishonest and used to pilfer from the money box (John 12:5, 6).  He betrayed and sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16).  But the way Jesus treated this man is an incredible source of encouragement for me.  Jesus constantly showed Judas extraordinary grace and love with a persistence that is hard to grasp.  Jesus was constantly trying to win Judas back through specific acts of love.  At the last supper of Jesus and His disciples, Judas was given a place of honor, close enough for Jesus to hand him a piece of bread (see John 13:26).  Plus, eating with someone was understood as a mark of inclusion.  And the last words of Jesus to Judas really touch my heart.  Judas was leading the chief priests, the elders of the people, and the crowd to the place where Jesus was, so that they could apprehend Him; Judas gave them a sign: a kiss (see Matthew 26:47, 48).  Jesus let Judas kiss Him (verse 49), then said to him, " 'Friend, do what you have come for.'  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him" (Matthew 26:50).  Really?  Friend?  How could Jesus call Judas friend?  But to the very end, Jesus exposed Judas to His love and grace.  He loved him, as He loves us.  He knows everything about us--even our motives and darkest secrets.  His love does not depend on our goodness, and he will keep pursuing us to the very end!

My Response:________________________________________________________
* To view the series, go to https://www.Jesus 101.tv.  This video series is a companion for the book Jesus 101: Radical Discipleship.

January 22:  Accepting His Love.

HIS FATHERHOOD.
"Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."--Luke 8:48

My parents did whatever was necessary for my well-being.  When I was a child, I would get sudden asthma attacks that were life-threatening, and I remember my parents rushing me to the hospital, which was on the other side of town.  As my face was turning blue, my dad would flash the car lights so that the other cars would move out of the way, while my mother would frantically wave her arms through the window to signal that this was an emergency.  They saved my life many times.  I'm sure you would do the same for your children.

It is no surprise that Jairus, an official of the synagogue, fell at the feet of Jesus "and began to implore Him to come to his house; for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying" (Luke 8:41, 42).  He was willing to do anything for his daughter's well-being.  Jesus agreed and went.  But what happens next is surprising.  As Jesus is walking toward the house of Jairus, a destitute and sick woman, who has been bleeding for twelve years, interrupts His journey.  The daughter of Jairus has a reputable daddy, willing to speak to Jesus on her behalf, but this unclean woman has no respectable male to stand up for her (which was expected in that culture): no father, no husband, no son, no rabbi, no doctor...no one.  So she, herself, "came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped" (verse 44).  Just like that!  She received the healing miracle that she had been waiting for during twelve years!  But Jesus had more for her.  He stopped the multitude, asking who had touched Him.  Trembling, she came, fell before Him (verse 47), and explained what had happened.  She was now clean, but Jesus did more than just heal her.  He publicly reinstated her to society.  And there was yet another surprise!  "He said to her, 'Daughter' " (verse 8).  Daughter!  This is the only story, in all the Gospels, where Jesus addresses a woman directly as His daughter.  She was the daughter of Jesus!  She was no longer destitute.  She had a Father!  And you and I are also His children.  (1 John 3:1).  He has done everything that was necessary to save us!

My Response:_________________________________________________

January 21:  Accepting His Love.

HIS KINDNESS.
And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."--Mark 2:5

It was a very difficult time in my life, and it just so happened that I was about to spend Christmas Day by myself.  My loving parents lived on the East Coast while I was in California, and we didn't have money to visit each other.  But then something incredible happened!  An airline advertised a very inexpensive Christmas fare, but the round trip had to be completed within forty-eight hours.  My parents called me to tell me the exciting news that both of them were coming to spend Christmas with me.  I was not alone after all!  They cared for me deeply.

There was a paralyzed man who suffered greatly and desperately needed to know that someone cared.  Four friends brought him to Jesus, but the crowd around the house was so big that they were unable to get in (Mark 2:3, 4).  What should they do?  Go back?  Not these men.  They made their way to the roof of the house, since dwellings in Palestine had flat roofs accessible from the outside, but when they got there, they had to make a hole in the roof in order to access the interior of the house.  They were so eager to help that they willingly stepped outside their comfort zone and even risked losing their honor.  But the sick man was about to receive much more than physical healing.  They lowered him through the hole: "And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven' " (verse 5).  Did you notice the first words that Jesus uttered?  They conveyed His kindness and care for this man!  Because of his disability, people would call him cursed by God, yet Jesus calls him teknom (Greek) instead, which communicates endearment and is translated as "son" or "child."  Apart from addressing his disciples as "children" (Mark 10:24), this is the only time in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus calls a person by this term.  This man would also receive forgiveness and healing, but the first kind word he heard was "son."  No matter how helpless or hopeless we may feel, Jesus kindly addresses us the same way: "Child, your sins are forgiven!"

My Response:_______________________________________________________

January 20:  Accepting His Love.

HIS STEADFASTNESS.
"Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"--Matthew 26:53

I recently revisited the National Mall in Washington DC, which includes several monuments, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington monument.  When I had been there almost three decades ago, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial had not been built, so it was completely new to me.  It is a stunning monument.  Engraved on the walls of the monument are several of his amazing quotations, including this one from 1963: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

When Jesus was arrested, Peter drew out his sword to defend Him and he cut Malchus's ear (John 18:10).  I am pretty sure Peter wasn't going for the ear, but something more vital.  But Jesus ordered him to put the sword away and said: "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?"  (Matthew 26:53, 54).  If Jesus wanted to free Himself, He wouldn't have relied on a few disciples with swords.  No!  He was keenly aware of the supernatural resources available to Him!  He was innocent, He had power, and He had other divine resources.  And yet He didn't use any of these but restrained Himself in order to follow His Father's will for our redemption.  The use of force was not in Jesus' plan.  He was unwavering in His resolve to follow the will of God, even if that meant giving up His rights, His power, and His place in heaven.  His steadfastness to follow God's plan, walking in the path set before Him, is contrasted with His disciples' response to the situation.  We too may feel tempted to use force, perhaps not with a sword, but with words, attitudes, hierarchy, power, control, and other forms of coercion in our attempts to subdue our opponents.  Yet God is asking us to follow the way of Jesus: the way of love, forgiveness, and humility (see Philippians 2:5-8).  God bids us to put away our "swords," for "hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

My Response:_______________________________________________

January 19:  Accepting His Love.

HIS PROPOSAL.
"I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."--Revelation 3:20

I heard a touching story, but I don't know its source.  A little boy arrived at the pediatrician's office.  When the doctor was using the stethoscope on the child's chest, he placed the earpiece in the boy's ears, so that he could listen to the sound of his own heart.  Having never heard a heartbeat, the child was startled!  Then he asked: "Is that the sound of Jesus knocking on the door of my heart?"

I cherish this endearing and tender picture of Jesus found in Revelation 3:20.  He is standing at the door and knocking, desirous to come in.  He proposes, to whoever opens the door, the intimacy of a spiritual meal with Him.  His offer is particularly touching to me because it is found right after the portrayal of the church in Laodicea, a church that is both lukewarm and self-sufficient (see verses 15-19).  Laodicea was one of the wealthiest business centers in the known world, and it was famous for its banking system, black wool industry, and medical school.  Therefore, these are used as the background of the counsel to Laodicea: to come to Christ for gold refined by fire, white garments to clothe their nakedness, and eye salve to see (verse 18).  The Laodicean church doesn't perceive its own spiritual needs; it believes it is fine as it is.  It is neither cold nor hot; it is lukewarm and doesn't realize that it is spiritually wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.  After a call to repent, Jesus offers Himself.  So far the message has been addressed to the corporate church, the church of Laodicea as a whole.  But in this verse, it changes to an individual proposal and appeal: "If anyone hears My voice."  Even if the group doesn't accept Jesus' offer, the individuals may.  Jesus already stands at the door.  His initiative preceded our acceptance of Him, yet He doesn't force Himself in.  It is the knock and plea of love personified (see Song of Solomon 5:2).  He promises to come in and dine in intimacy with anyone who hears His voice and opens the door to Him.  The proposed meal is not a hurried one.  He yearns to come in!  This is the eager plea of the One who gave His life for you and for me!

My Response:_________________________________________________

January 18:  Accepting His Love.

HIS SELF-DENIAL.
"Do You not answer?  See how many charges they bring against You!"  But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.--Mark 15:4, 5

When the tropical storm Harvey hit southeastern Texas, authorities reported more than thirteen thousand rescues.  Unfortunately, some lost their lives.  Among them was a  woman who, along with her young daughter, had been swept away by high water.  While floating in the canal, the mother did everything that she could to keep her daughter alive.  When rescuers found them, the daughter was clinging to her mom.  The woman did not make it, but her daughter was worth her sacrifice.

The mockery and torture that Jesus suffered was more than we can imagine.  "Some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, 'Prophecy!'  And the officers received Him with slaps in the face" (Mark 14:65).  Before His crucifixion, Jesus endured His disciples' betrayal, the false accusations of the religious leaders, the mockery of the soldiers, the questioning of the authorities, the unjust scourging, the crown of thorns, etc., yet He did not defend Himself.  "He kept silent and did not answer" (Mark 14:61).  This was in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy:

          He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
          Yet He did not open His mouth;
          Like a lamb that is silent before its shearers,
          So He did not open His mouth
          (Isaiah 53:7).

It's not that He didn't have anything to say, or that He couldn't prove His innocence.  He was not helpless to deliver Himself.  No!  He voluntarily renounced His rights; He relinquished His life.  From His conduct we may learn that we don't always need to defend our rights when a greater purpose is served.  We may also learn to surrender to God's will.  We may learn humility as well.  All these are very valuable.  Yet most of all, may we learn and understand that Jesus surrendered His life in exchange for ours.  His silence was loud proof of His love for us!

My Response:________________________________________________________