May 27:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS DOMINION.
And He said to them, "Go!"  And they came out.--Matthew 8:32

I was speechless as I read the headline in the Telegraph: "Cannibal tribe apologizes for eating Methodists." *  The August 16, 2007 article went on:  "A tribe in Papua New Guinea has apologized for killing and eating four 19th century missionaries....Thousands of villagers attended a reconciliation ceremony near Rabaul, the capital of East New Britain province, once notorious for the ferocity of its cannibals."  This article was a sobering reminder of the ultimate price paid by dozens of missionaries who ventured into unfriendly regions with the gospel.

Jesus often entered territories where no one else would go.  "When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possesed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs.  They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way" (Matthew 8:28).  No one could pass that way, except Jesus, whose complete dominion over evil forces is highlighted in this account.  Jesus had demonstrated power over disease, nature, and now demons, who immediately recognize Jesus' true identity as "Son of God" (verse 29).  The demons, knowing the authoritative power of Jesus over them, request permission to go into a herd of swine, which eventually "perished in the waters" (see verse 32).  Jesus' dominion over evil forces is portrayed in one authoritative word: "Go!"  And the demons went.  And it is striking to me, that with all His power and dominion over the spiritual realms, Jesus does not force His Presence upon the human heart: "They [the whole city] implored Him to leave their region" (verse 34).  And He left.  The demons implored Jesus for permission to leave, but the people implored Him to leave, and He did.  Jesus continues to enter the most hopeless of situations where no one else dares to enter, and He continues to be the Healer of all kinds of evil in various forms, bringing peace and hope. Let's give Him dominion over our hearts.  "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities...nor height, nor depth...will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39).

My Response:__________________________________________________________
* Nick Squires, "Cannibal Tribe Apologizes for Eating Methodists, Telegraph, August 16, 2007, 259 P.M.  BST, https://www,telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1560483/Cannibal-tribe-apologises-for-eating Methodists,html.

May 26:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS SPIRIT.
After being baptized...he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.--Matthew 3:16

I was born in a pastor's home and had heard many sermons since my earliest childhood.  I still remember my dad's sermon on the mathematical impossibility of the gospel being preached to the whole world before the second coming of Christ.  First, he would write on the board some formulas, which included worldwide birth and death ratios, and how it was impossible for the church to catch up with these figures.  Then he would add the element of the Spirit of God (as in the time of the first century Christian church) and explain how the divine outcome could not be measured with simple math.

After Jesus was baptized, He came up from the water, the heavens opened, and Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending on Him (Matthew 3:16).  Even though Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit was with Him throughout His life, He was now visibly being empowered by the Spirit to fulfill His redemptive mission.  The One who would baptize with the Spirit (Matthew 3:11), was now being baptized by the Spirit at the inauguration of His public ministry.  The OT prophets had announced that God's chosen Servant would be anointed by the Spirit: "Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights.  I have put My Spirit upon Him" (Isaiah 42:1; see also Isaiah 11:2).  Jesus Himself quoted from Isaiah 61:1 in the synagogue at Nazareth and proclaimed the fulfillment of this prophecy in Him: "The SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME" (Luke 4:18).  Jesus promised multiple times to provide the same Spirit to His followers.  His disciples were to proclaim the good news of forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name only after being empowered by the Spirit from on high (Luke 24:47-49).  We can't measure our ability to do our calling and God-given tasks with our own strength, because we will always become anxious and worried if we do.  Those who believe in Jesus have the promise of the Holy Spirit, whose power enables us to proclaim the gospel boldly.  Let's ask for a daily filling of God's Spirit!

My Response:______________________________________________________________

May 25:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS SUMMARY.
"LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART,...ALL YOUR SOUL,...ALL YOUR MIND,...ALL YOUR STRENGTH."--Mark 12:30


The newscasters were so emotional that they could hardly talk.  My eyes filled with tears too.  The body of Sargent Helus, a hero in the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, California, was being transported by car on the Ventura Freeway.  He had given his life trying to save the lives of others.  As the procession passed by, everyone stopped in recognition of his ultimate sacrifice.  The overpass bridges were crowded with people, as were the side streets; thousands gathered to honor him.  We respectfully honor the heroes who freely and lovingly gave their lives.

How can we honor Jesus, who gave His life for us?  At the time of Jesus, there were 613 detailed statues of the Law established, and the religious experts used to argue about which of them was the most important.  A scribe asked Jesus: "What commandment is the foremost [first] of all?" (Mark 12:28).  Perhaps Jesus would respond with a prioritized list that we all could use.  Instead, Jesus summarized the law with one key word: love.  Love your God and your neighbor as yourself.  The Greek verb is agapao, the intrinsically motivated, God-given commitment and devotion for us that resulted in His ultimate sacrifice.  "We love, because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19).  Jesus responded with the words of Deuteronomy 6:4, 5, recited daily by devoted Jews, and with Leviticus 19:18.  God wants our all: all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength (Mark 12:30).  And that's what He deserves, because He gave His all!  This response of love and devotion is worth much more to Him than anything else we may have or do (verse 33).  May we accept more of His love, and therefore love Him more!  "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:17-19).

My Response:____________________________________________________________

May 24:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS IDENTIFICATION.
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"--Acts 9:4


The persecution of Christians is growing around the globe.  I was startled when I read recent reports that highlight that this problem is worse now than at any time in the past.  The Open Door organization, which serves persecuted Christians worldwide, labels many countries as having "high, very high, or extreme persecution" and keeps adding them to the World Watch List. *  This is not just an ancient problem, and we can get involved by praying for oppressed Christians.

The first verse of Acts 9 is astonishing: "Now Saul, still breathing threats, and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest."  Saul, who had been introduced to the reader back at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), went to Caiphas to ask for letters of extradition to bring all the followers of Jesus "bound" to Jerusalem (Acts 9:2).  This time he was after those who had taken refuge in the city of Damascus, in the province of Syria.  This city, located about one hundred fifty miles from Jerusalem, was outside of the Holy Land, and had a large Jewish population.  Saul (Hebrew for Paul), had consented to the death of the first Christian martyr (Acts 8:1) and was now persecuting all those belonging to the Way, an identification mentioned many times in Acts (chapters 18, 19, 22, 24).  "As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:3, 4).  Notice that the resurrected Christ speaks to Saul, identifying with the persecuted group.  He didn't say: "Why are you persecuting them?"  When Saul asked "Who are You, Lord?" once again Jesus responded, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting" (verse 5).  Jesus embodied the persecution of His followers as being done unto Him personally.  Jesus continues to identify personally with His oppressed followers; whatever is done to them is being done unto Him.  Join me in praying for those who are suffering for their faith in Christ.  And if you are going through hardships for His sake, may you know that Jesus identifies personally with you.

My Response:_____________________________________________________________
* Open Doors USA, "World Watch List," http://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/.

May 23:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS EXCEPTION.
"Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"--Acts 10:47


I had the privilege of visiting ancient Caesarea.  Built by Herod the Great and named in honor of Caesar Augustus, it is an impressive town on the coast.  Several structures, such as the ancient Roman amphitheater and the aqueduct, witness to its flourishing society during New Testament times.  It is in this town that a centurion by the name of Cornelius saw the vision of an angel instructing him to send someone to Joppa (a town thirty-eight miles south of Caesarea) to fetch Peter, so that he could explain the gospel to him (see Acts 10:1-8).

Immediately Cornelius sent for Peter, who was staying at Simon the Tanner's house in Joppa.  As we discussed yesterday, God had to convince Peter, through visions and the voice of the Spirit, to go with these men (verses 9-20).  In Caesarea, Cornelius had gathered his relatives and close friends, and Peter preached the gospel to them.  Then God did something out of the usual sequence, astonishing Peter and all his companions.  "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.  All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.  For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God" (verses 44-46).  Then Peter ordered that they be baptized.  Wow!  You see, with visions and all, Peter wasn't ready to baptize Gentiles into the community, so God got ahead of him.  In acts, the order is always as follows: the gospel of Jesus is preached, people are baptized, and the Holy Spirit falls on them, except this time.  God chose the Gentiles and had to get out of sequence because His own people were not ready to recognize His choice.  The Spirit fell on them first, and then they were baptized.  God loves all and often chooses people who are outside the box.  If you were left out of the "in" group or were told that you need to change in order for God to love you, may this story convince you that God's love is not subject to human barriers.

My Response:___________________________________________________________

May 22:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS BENEVOLENCE.
Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality."--Acts 10:34

As I travel around the world, I am always amazed at how history repeats itself.  There are sad chapters in history, when a social, racial, religious, or political group is oppressed by another group which happens to be in power at the time.  Unfortunately, when times change, and the tables are turned, frequently the oppressed became the oppressor.  This phenomenon is rooted in the core of the human heart, which seeks to exclude others, who are not part of their own group.

In the New Testament, members of the newly-formed Christian community had a hard time understanding that God's benevolence and goodwill was directed towards all individuals, not only those of Jewish background.  It was so hard for them to understand God's favor upon the others.  The religious people were much harder to convince of the inclusivity of God's love and salvation than the Gentiles were.  A case in point is the story of Cornelius and Peter, narrated in Acts 10.  Cornelius was a centurion, who had become a God-fearer, which means that he worshipped the God of Israel, but had not converted to Judaism and was not ritually circumcised.  On the other hand, Peter had been with Jesus during His public ministry.  He was a disciple, one of the twelve, and a member of His inner circle of three disciples who witnessed additional divine manifestations.  Having been reinstated to ministry after denying his Master, he experienced Jesus' grace and love firsthand.  Yet it took a lot to convince Peter that he should step into Cornelius's house.  It was much easier for God to convince Cornelius to send messengers to fetch Peter than it was to convince Peter to go with the messengers to Cornelius.  Peter saw a vision three times (verses 10-16), which he then interpreted as: "God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.  That is why I came" (verses 28, 29).  God's love challenges our biases.  He does not show partiality to color, accent, ancestry, or social status.  You are His beloved child.  Whatever your background or circumstances, He loves you and His victory is for all!

My Response:_________________________________________________________

May 21:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS YEARNING.
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly."  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.--Revelation 22:20

I closely followed the kidnapping of Utah teenager Elizabeth Smart and her ordeal in captivity from June 5, 2002 to March 12, 2003.  Since then I have read her book about the nightmare.  I was deeply touched by the way Salt Lake City celebrated her homecoming when she was found.  The whole town was dressed in ribbons and balloons in Elizabeth's favorite colors: blue and yellow.  Businesses stopped advertising their services and products, and placed "Elizabeth, Welcome Home" signs instead.  It was a celebration that showcased the longing that characterized the nine-month search for Elizabeth.  And she was now home!

We are all longing for our heavenly home!  And yet sometimes we forget the yearning of our heavenly Father to come back for us.  At the end of the book of Revelation, we get the final multi-descriptive portrait of Christ, which repeats some of the descriptions of Jesus that we found at the beginning of the book: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Revelation 22:13).  Jesus was there at the beginning, and He will be there at the end of our earthly story.  Jesus is, was, and will be with us!  The last words of the risen Christ are recorded in Revelation 22:20: "Yes, I am coming quickly."  Do you hear the eagerness, the yearning of a Parent coming back to take His children home?  John's answer is also representative of the longing response of all of us--to be with our Redeemer forever: "Amen!  Come, Lord Jesus!  Come soon!  This is the true history of humankind from the beginning to eternity.  Jesus is triumphant, and the kidnapper has lost.  This is the story of the successful rescue of God's kidnapped children, only possible because a costly ransom was paid for us at the cross.  Can you imagine the heavenly signs: "Dear child, Welcome Home!"?  I can't wait for our voices to join the two-word cry: Jesus wins!  If you are facing pain and trials today, just remember how it ends.  Jesus is yearning to embrace you and take you home!

My Response:_________________________________________________________

May 20:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS BRIDE.
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come."  And let the one who hears say, "Come."  And let the one who is thirsty come.--Revelation 22:17

I am sure you've heard marriage vows before; perhaps you've even uttered them yourself at your wedding ceremony.  We promise to be faithful to each other, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, and so on.  Then the final sentence " 'Til death do us part."  Wonderfully, with our heavenly Bridegroom, it is the exact opposite!  His death is what reunites us and guarantees our eternal life with Him!

The Bible teaches that there will be a new earth, where God will dwell with His people, His bride, forever: "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men...and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them' " (Revelation 21:2, 3).  This will be an eternity without pain, sickness, or death!  And all of heaven is so excited about us, His bride: "Then one of the seven angels...came and spoke with me saying, 'Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb' " (verse 9).  Yes, there is an eternal future without pain for the people of God.  In this sinful world, we see marriage vows and trust being violated, which leaves us brokenhearted.  But it is not that way with our heavenly Bridegroom!  He is eager to have us home with Him forever. At the end of the book of Revelation, the bride of the Lamb issues a passionate invitation: Come and join us!  We, the bride, are so excited that our Bridegroom is at hand that we don't want anyone missing!  "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.'  And let the one who hears say, 'Come.'  And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost" (Revelation 22:17).  Oh, yes!  It is without cost for us!  But it did cost the Bridegroom His life.  I can't wait for His hug after all these years of suffering and pain.  He is eager to embrace us and to embrace you, and to welcome us to a pain-free eternity.  If you are suffering today, may this assured future encourage you.  The wedding march is about to begin:  Here comes the Groom!

My Response:__________________________________________________________

May 19:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS RECREATION.
On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.--Revelation 22:2


Have you ever received much more than you expected?  I was in the middle of a long international trip when, having finished a speaking engagement, I had to stay a few extra days in a hotel to work on a project before heading  to the next country.  My hosts graciously paid for the additional nights.  Wondering where I would be eating during the few extra days, I went to the reception desk.  That's when I was notified that my hosts had prepaid for all my daily meals at a restaurant.  Wow!  I was pleasantly surprised and so grateful!

We can't even start to grasp what awaits us in eternity!  Even our best imagination fails us when it comes to God's heavenly surprise for His children.  The last book of the Bible ends with a scene of redeemed humanity returned to the tree of life.  We have come full circle, and God has recreated the earth!  The tree that God planted in Paradise is back.  Remember how Jesus promised Paradise to the criminal on the cross (see Luke 23:43)?  Well, here we are, standing by the tree of life.  John utters the seventh and last beatitude in this book: "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city" (Revelation 22:14).  The expression of "washing their robes" has already been explained in Revelation: "They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).  The blessed ones have the right to the tree of life, a symbol of immortality, because they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, accepting the ransom paid.  "The tree of life in the new Jerusalem symbolizes eternal life free of death and suffering....Once again human beings will share in the gift of eternal life that Adam enjoyed before sin entered the world.  All that was lost through Adam is now regained through Christ." *  Praise the Lord!  Be encouraged!  Jesus has purchased a suffering-free eternal reality for us!

My Response:_____________________________________________________________
* Ranko Stefanvic, Revelation of Jesus Christ, 2nd ed. (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2009), 604

May 18:  Celebrating His Victory.

HIS DEPENDABILITY.
"Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told."--Acts 27:25


I had just finished preaching from the book of Ruth, on the topic of the Go'el, the kinsman-redeemer, which is my favorite theme, as it relates to Jesus in the whole Bible.  A scholar came up to me at the end and said: "And Jesus is not the type of Go'el who removes His sandal!"  It was a clever observation because, in the book of Ruth, the closest relative that could redeem Naomi and Ruth refused to do so, signifying his decision by removing his sandal according to the custom of the time (see Ruth 4:7, 8).  Then Boaz, the second kinsman-redeemer in line, bought the land and married Ruth.  Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer, never refuses to act on our behalf; he never removes His sandal.  We can always trust His word and depend on His presence, His promises, and the efficacy of His sacrifice for us.

Everything around us constantly changes: including people, circumstances, economy, and relationships.  But there is something you can always depend on: God with us, Immanuel.  He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  He is always there, His word is reliable, and so is His assurance of salvation through the blood of Jesus.  You can depend on it!  In the book of Acts, Paul learned to depend on God's words through thick and thin.  When they were at sea, in the middle of a fierce and devastating storm that would cause a shipwreck, God sent an angel with a message for Paul: "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar...God has granted you all those who are sailing with you" (Acts 27:24).  Paul absolutely believed the message and spoke to the men in the ship: "There will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship" (verse 22).  He had no proof of this other than God's word, and that was enough for him.  "And so it happened that they all were brought safely to land" (verse 44).  God has promised that believers in Jesus will be saved through His sacrifice on the cross.  He has also promised to be with us every day, until the end of this world.  You can depend on Him!  His promises are reliable, His victory is assured, and His sacrifice is more than sufficient!


My Response:_________________________________________________________