June 23:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS TESTIMONY.
They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!...do not hold this sin against them!"--Acts 7:59, 60

The Greek verb martureo means to bear witness or testify.  Many Christians lost their lives testifying of their faith in Jesus, and that's why nowadays the word martyr is used for a person who dies because of their faith.  The death of the martyrs, such as the Czech reformer John Huss who was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415, was characterized by supernatural peace and bold testimony under the direst circumstances.  This was also the case with Stephen, the first martyr.

After Stephen's final sermon, his audience "began gnashing their teeth at him" (Acts 7:54), as a prelude to his stoning. Stephen exclaimed: "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (verse 56).  Not long earlier, Jesus had appeared before the high priest, prior to His crucifixion, and had made a similar statement: "Jesus said, 'I am [the Christ]; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14:62). Now Stephen was giving testimony that Jesus, in fact, was at the right hand of God!  So, they stoned him, just as they had killed Jesus!  Stephen gave a testimony of who Jesus was and where He was!  At that moment, Jesus was standing at the right hand of God, as a Witness to His witness.  Acts 7:56 is the only occurrence of the title Son of Man outside of the four Gospels.  I am amazed at the final words of Stephen and how they parallel the statements of Jesus on the cross. Jesus said, "Father, into your hands I commit My spirit" (Luke 23:46); Stephen said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" (Acts 7:59).  Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing!" (Luke 23:34); Stephen said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" (Acts 7:60).  You might be called to give a testimony of your faith in Jesus under difficult situations, such as a life-threatening illness, trials, and persecution.  Focus on Jesus and be bold, as Stephen was.  God will give you His peace, which surpasses understanding!

My Response:________________________________________________________

June 22:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS INTENTION.
"These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."--John 15:11

Our ministry receives several prayer requests every week through our website (Jesus101.tv) and app (Jesus101).  Many individuals request prayers for themselves, to come closer to God and to experience His peace.  Some relate stories of how they went away from God, looking for their own path and rejecting His ways.  But away from Him they only found darkness and despair, and now they eagerly long to come back to God and to bask in His grace and joy.  The amazing news is that God Himself desires that we may be filled with His joy!

In the narrative of the Vine and the branches, Jesus offers us an intimate relationship with Him.  He says, "Abide in Me, and I in you" (John 15:4).  Also, He explains that only in union with Him we can be fruitful, because apart from Him we can do nothing, and that the purpose of the fruitfulness is to glorify the Father.  Then He reveals that this intimate relationship is rooted in His love for us, for in the same way that the Father has loved Him, He loves us; and He bids us to "abide in [His] love"  His followers' response to this divine love is to remain in His love, pledging allegiance to Him and His commands (verse 10).  And finally, Jesus reveals His intentions for bringing this up to His disciples at the very time when they are grief-stricken: "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full" (verse 11).  He passionately desires that our joy in Him may be complete, full, and overflowing!  There is no other gladness that compares with the depth of His joy, even when we are in the midst of pain.  In John 14:27, Jesus had introduced His disciples to His peace.  Now, He speaks to them of His love and His joy!  The word joy had been used only once in this Gospel until now, but it is used seven times in these three chapters (John 15-17), just when His disciples need it most!  Jesus offers us an intimate relationship with Him, rooted in His love.  As we respond to His love, following His ways for us, He permeates us with the fullness of His peace, His joy, and His love.

My Response:________________________________________________________

June 21:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS PLEADING.
"His father came out and began pleading with him."--Luke 15:28

I read that Father's Day was started by Sondra Dodd in 1919.  After hearing a sermon about Mother's Day, she told her minister that there should be a day to honor fathers.  She wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran, who had been a single parent, raising his six children.  Originally Sonora had requested June 5, her father's birthday, as the day of the celebration.  But the pastors couldn't arrange it fast enough, so they celebrated it on the third Sunday of June, 1910.  The day became a national holiday in 1972, when President Nixon signed it into law. *


I was so blessed to have a godly father!  He always supported me without smothering me.  He really embodied the best qualities of a human being, and I admire him and will be eternally grateful to God for him.  But, what does a godly father really look like?   Glad you asked.  The answer is found in the parable of the prodigal son, and the way the father, representing God, treated both of his sons.  The parable was told to answer the Pharisees, who grumbled about Jesus receiving sinners.  "A man had two sons," Jesus started the story (Luke 15:11).  You know about the younger son, who asked for his share of the estate, squandered it, became impoverished, and returned to his father's household.  The merciful father embraced him and killed the fattened calf to celebrate the return of the undeserving son (verses 22-24).  That's how our heavenly Father treats us!  And Jesus had to die so that He could welcome us back!  Back to the story, the older son became angry and didn't want to join the celebration.  He didn't agree with his father's acceptance of the prodigal.  In response, "his father came out and began pleading with him" (verse 28).  What kind of father pleads with his complaining son to join the celebration of his brother's return?  One who places his love for his children above his own honor.  Joel B. Green adds, "Just as the father had run out to meet his younger son, so, again dishonoring himself, he leaves the banquet over which he is host in order to plead with his elder son." **  This is our heavenly Father: always welcoming, always pleading.  The cross is proof that God loved us more than He loved Himself.

My Response:_________________________________________________________
* Wikipedia, s.v. "Sonora Smart Dodd," accessed April 14, 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora_Smart_Dodd#Father's_Day.
** Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, 6th ed., NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997), 585.

June 20:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS SUBMISSION.
And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit My spirit."  Having said this, He breathed His last.--Luke 23:46


We find real peace when we surrender to God's plan, even when we don't fully understand His will for us.  When I was in my thirties, I went through a series of adverse circumstances that I didn't understand and could not control.  These were hard times for me.  At that time, I purchased a key ring with an inscription that became my motto as I walked the difficult path.  It read: "I don't know the master plan, but I know the Master planned it, and I am included."

I have watched each of my parents submit themselves into God's care, having battled cancer for several years and, finally, facing the end of their lives.  As they entrusted themselves into God's keeping in life, so they did in death.  When Jesus was facing the end of His life, He committed His Spirit into God's hands, breathed His last, and gave up His Spirit.  The Old Testament is often quoted both by Jesus and by the Gospel writers when they describe His final hours.  In both Matthew and Mark, Jesus utters words from Psalm 22:1.  Luke points out that He also recited the words of Psalm 31:5: "Into Your hands I commit my spirit" (23:46).  Luke adds that a darkness fell over the land from noon until 3:00 P.M., which was the time of the evening sacrifice.  Some believe that Psalm 31:5 was repeated during the evening sacrifice.  Now Jesus Himself, in His prayer to the Father, recites the words of this psalm of confidence.  There had been a divine plan, from the foundation of the world, to save you and me.  Jesus, the Lamb of God, was to be sacrificed for our sins.  As He accomplishes the redemption plan, prophesied in the Scriptures, Jesus commits Himself into His Father's hands.  He fully submitted to God's will, just as He had prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: "Not My will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42).  Whether in life or in death, there is no safer place than in God's hands.  Believing ourselves saved by the sacrifice of Jesus, we now have the privilege of living and / or dying in full submission to His plan and His will.  May our words be: "Into Your hands I commit my spirit."

My Response:________________________________________________________

June 19:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS ARGUMENT.
"If then you cannot do even a very little [add a single hour to your lifespan], why do you worry about other matters?"--Luke 12:26


Many have shared  with me their techniques to combat worry.  Some imagine the worst possible scenario, accept it, and seek to improve on it.  Others rely on statistics, calculating the chances of getting hit by lightning  or dying in a car crash.  And still others use calming resources and breathing exercises.  But most people find that these methods are not enough.  We are a society of worrywarts in need of facing the root of our anxiety.

It has been reported that Kindle's most highlighted Bible text is Philippians 4:6, 7, a passage that addresses anxiety,* showing how our society is struggling with worry.  In Luke 12, Jesus addresses our worry and anxiety, mentioning the concept several times.  Starting from verse 22, Jesus offers a sequence of arguments against worry: First, those of us who worry about what we will eat and wear have a limited perception of what life is really all about, "For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing" (verse 23).  Jesus draws His second argument from nature, utilizing the style of lesser to greater: if God feeds the ravens and clothes the lilies, how much more will He take care of us!  Thirdly, Jesus points out the futility and unproductiveness of anxiety, highlighting that we can't add an hour to our lifespan by worrying.  If we can't do this "very little thing" through worrying, who do we worry about other matters? (verse 26).  The  culmination of Jesus' arguments is an alternative way of life to the anxiety-driven struggle to meet one's own needs, and it is based on a simple and powerful awareness: "Your Father knows that you need these things" (verse 30).  He is in control.  He is grateful to provide.  He knows what we need, and He is more than willing to give these things to us.  We are, thus, set free from self-protecting concerns and can now focus our energies on the gospel propagation.  Yes!  Jesus sets us free from fear, worry, and anxiety!  Woo-hoo!

My Response:___________________________________________________________
* Robinson Meyer, "The Most Popular Passages in Books, According to Kindle Data," Atlantic, November 2, 2014, https://wwww.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/11/the passages-that readers-love/381373/.

June 18:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS CLEANSING.
"I am willing; be cleansed."--Matthew 8:3

We don't hear much about leprosy anymore, even though the disease is still around.  Yet there are other physical, mental, and emotional conditions that carry a similar social stigma for their victims.  Sometimes people end up being known by their misfortune, bad experience, or mistake, instead of their name.  There goes the divorcee!  Or did you hear about the jailbird?  How about the adulteress?!  Unfortunately, society in general is quick to judge and marginalize, robbing people of their worth.

It is hard for us to fully understand the impact the story recorded in Matthew 8:2, 3 would have left on the listeners.  At the time, leprosy was the most dreaded disease, barring its victims from society because they were considered ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 13; 14).  People afflicted by leprosy had to warn others about their misfortune by crying out loud: "Unclean!  Unclean!" (Leviticus 13:45).  A leper came to Jesus and prostrated himself in front of Him (Matthew 8:2).  Somehow, perhaps by witnessing a miracle of Jesus, this man had become convinced that Jesus had the ability to heal him from leprosy: "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean" (verse 2).  It was all up to Jesus; it was His choice!  Would He be willing?  In an astounding show of compassion and care, Jesus "stretched out His hand and touched him" (verse 3).  Can you imagine the shock?  The leper probably had not felt human touch in years!  The ritual law stated that if someone touched a leper, they too immediately became ceremonially unclean (see Leviticus 5:3).  But not in this case!  Instead of Jesus becoming a leper, the leper was cleansed.  Jesus had not only the power to heal but also the willingness to do so.  He said, "I am willing; be cleansed.'  And immediately his leprosy was cleansed" (verse 3).  Jesus wanted to heal this man.  When, due to our mistakes, addictions, or the guilt of our sin, we feel separated from our true selves, others, and God, let's remember that Jesus has the power and willingness to heal us.  Let's come to His feet and ask for healing and peace.  He will answer: "I am willing; be cleansed."

My Response:_________________________________________________________

June 17:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS PEACEMAKING.
"Leave your offering there before the altar and go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."--Matthew 5:24

We arrived at an inpatient rehab where one of our acquaintances needed to stay for a while, due to alcohol abuse.  A sign outside the building had a quotation that made a lasting impact on my mind: "Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves." *  Later on, I learned that the words are attributed to William Hazlitt, a British writer, who authored many other such quotes.

God took the initiative to reconcile us to Himself, and when we believe in the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, we are given true and absolute peace with God: "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).  This is a core principle of the gospel: we didn't earn our peace, but we have peace through Jesus.  This is the vertical dimension of peace.  Having received this divine gift through Jesus, His followers are to follow the overflowing of that peace into their daily affairs with all people (the horizontal dimension), becoming peacemakers, as far as it depends on them (see Romans 12:18).  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed this, pronouncing a blessing over peacemakers: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God" (Matthew 5:9).  In this sermon, Jesus makes six pronouncements expanding the meaning of the commandment (Matthew 5:21-48).  The first one is about the commandment: "You shall not commit murder" (verse 21), which Jesus expands to include anger against our fellow humans (verse 22).  His first illustration on this statement is: "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering" (verses 23, 24).  As God did with us, we are to take the initiative.  After we have done our part to share the peace that we have been given, then God will accept and bless our worship.  Let's share the peace of Jesus that we have received.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. (Matthew 5:9).

My Response:_________________________________________________________

June 16:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS VIEWPOINT.
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."--Matthew 5:12

In my travels, I like to watch how children behave in planes because their perspective usually doesn't match that of adults.  Not long ago, I was on a flight that encountered serious turbulence.  Some children were really enjoying the air instability; every time the plane went up and down, they made joyful sounds as if they were on a roller-coaster ride.  In the meantime, all the adults were anxiously looking around.  The presence and care of their parents allowed these children to rejoice when everyone else was worried and anxious.

Faith is trusting a different reality in the middle of the storm, because our Kinsman-Redeemer watches over us and has revealed to us how the story ends.  The Beatitudes, spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, offer a heavenly viewpoint about the circumstances that we face here on earth.  "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me" (Matthew 5:11).  Blessed when persecuted, insulted, and falsely accused?  He continues: "Rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (verse 12).  Jesus offers a different perspective.  Throughout the ages, the followers of Christ have encountered opposition and discomfort.  Even the great men of old, such as Moses, Elijah, David, and Jeremiah, often cried out to God in despair as they faced enemies and foes.  Yet they were strengthened by God, trusting that their trials served a greater and divine purpose, and that His presence was with them (take a moment to read their stories in Hebrews 11).  Insults and opposition are to be received with rejoicing, for we are called to be witnesses in the redemption history of humankind.  Heaven awaits those who have trusted in the merits of Christ, even to the point of extreme suffering.  Difficulties and struggles may be part of the storms of this life, yet Jesus has offered us heaven's viewpoint: "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

My Response:_________________________________________________________

July 10:  Affirming His Grace.

HIS GENTLENESS.
"A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out."--Matthew 12:20

Deborah Hall just wouldn't give up.  She convinced her husband Ron to join her in volunteering at the local mission, where they met Denver, a tough homeless man who often had outbursts of unfriendly and threatening behavior.  However, through Debbie's perseverance and gentleness, God broke down the barriers in Denver's heart and won him over; Ron and Denver became life-long friends.  When Debbie died of cancer, Denver gave an emotional testimony at her funeral about the life-changing influence she had on him.

After Jesus healed a man with a withered hand, Matthew reports that He withdrew from there, yet many followed Him, and He healed them (Matthew 12:15).  Then Matthew presents another prophetic formula, the longest Old Testament quotation in this Gospel (Matthew 12:18-21).  It is the first of four songs in Isaiah about God's coming Servant (Isaiah 42:1-4).  This is the only time in the Gospel that Jesus is called God's Servant ("My Servant," Matthew 12:18).  It is striking that this passage highlights the gentle and hope-filled ministry of Jesus, particularly for those who are at their wit's end.  "A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out...and in His name the Gentiles will hope."  (Matthew 12:20, 21).  A bent reed could no longer be used as a measuring instrument nor to sustain any kind of structure; a smoldering wick had to be replaced in order to serve its purpose.  But Jesus refused to give up on people like that.  R. T. France explains: "The imagery thus describes an extraordinary willingness to encourage damaged or vulnerable people, giving them a further opportunity to succeed which a result-oriented society would deny them....Here Matthew finds a further portrait of the meek and lowly Jesus who offers a kind yoke and a light burden; the giver of rest to the toiling and heavily loaded (11:28-30). *  Are you in the midst of hopeless circumstances?  Jesus is gentle, patient, and kind, and He is not giving up on you; you can count on that!

My Response:_________________________________________________________
* R.T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, NICNT (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007), 473.

June 15:  Enjoying His Peace.

HIS BLESSING.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."--Matthew 5:3

Who are the fortunate, happy, and blessed ones?  I am sure you have heard this classic story: "A king was suffering from a painful ailment and was told that the only cure for him was to find a contented man, get his shirt, and wear it night and day.  So, messengers were sent through the king's realm in search of such a man, with orders to bring back his shirt.  Months passed.  After a thorough search of the country, the messengers returned without the shirt.  'Did you find a contented man in all my realm?' the king asked.  'Yes, O King, we found one, just one in all the realm?'  'Then why did you not bring back his shirt?' the king demanded.  'Master, the man had no shirt.' " *

In one of the most famous discourses, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus announces the kingdom's manifesto, highlighting who these blessed ones really are.  In nine Beatitudes, Jesus turns the values of the world upside down, starting with today's devotional text: "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3).  In Judaism, the poor in spirit and the materially poor were closely related concepts (see Luke 6:20), as this is usually the frame of mind of those who are struggling to make ends meet.  God has always shown a special concern for the needy and afflicted (see Psalm 9:18).  As a matter of fact, the mission of the Messiah, fulfilled in Jesus, was focused on the poor: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor" (Luke 4:18, NKJV; see also Isaiah 61:1).  How could the poor and the poor in spirit be called blessed, while the world venerated strength and power?  The present tense of this particular beatitude is of much importance: "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).  Not will be as in other Beatitudes.  The poor in spirit not only have a future inheritance but can partake of the blessings of the kingdom now, in the present.  The poor have no other resource or hope than what is promised by God.  And when all we have left is God, that's when we realize that God is more than enough. Yes, we are blessed!

My Response:_________________________________________________________
* Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7000 Illustrations (Rockvill, MD: Assurance Publishers 1979), 272, 273.