She recognizes the strength and power of God, but she goes further by helping the spies. And then follows up with a request from them in v12 “show kindness to my family because I have shown kindness to you.”

How many of us, after knowing the greatness of God turns to him and asks for help? I think I know in my mind, but do I actually follow up with actual application? God calls us to faith, not just knowledge. He wants us to trust in him… for everything. May he give us boldness to believe.

I find it lacking in my life and in those around me. It’s actually quite interesting to see how everyone is a believer of truth, but forget to couple it with love. I’m just as guilty.

Paul says in 1 Cor 13:

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

I gain nothing. It’s a sobering thought and a good reminder that our service, our speech, our knowledge is nothing if it is not in unity with love. My hope and desire for fellow Christians… not just in the public, political sphere, but even in the private and more personal sphere, to couple your speech, your gifts, your knowledge, your service, your giving with love. Because without it, we gain nothing.

May God continue to bless you in all areas of life.

Last year we started hosting a bible study at our house. It started with a few people, and the original plan was to focus on college students.

But over the course of the year, we’ve started to realize that it wasn’t for the college students, but instead, God was calling us to be involved in a community. Not just a community, but a community of sinners, of which I was chief.

Our church is an ethnic church reaching the Chinese community. My wife and I have been involved mainly on the 2nd gen side for most of the six years we’ve been at this church.

We started in a small group mainly of young adults. There were probably six to ten of us back then. Then we were called to help with the youth. Then after awhile, things started to cool or maybe it was already cold, but since we were new to the church… we didn’t know better. People were drifting, pastors left, people left, everyone had issues with everyone else… the chinese side didn’t get the english side, we had theological issues, different philosophies of ministry, etc. etc. etc.. Anything that had a side, people were on opposites.

Throughout that time I struggled to understand… uh… God? what’s going on? It was dark, it was dry, it hurt and the temptation was pretty great to leave or move on. I remember the break up from my first girlfriend. It felt like that. Very emotional. Wounds were very deep and they were very real.

Little did we know at the time… wounds went much deeper, sins were not addressed, it simmered, more bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness then I could possibly imagine. And this coming from church. No wonder, people avoid church.

But it was through this time that I saw not only the outward sin of others, but my sin of self-righteousness, judgment, unloving and unwillingness to get my hands dirty. I saw at times… I’m better than this. And throughout the past year, God was showing me that I was not better than everyone else… and unless I realize how much worse I was… how much I needed saving, how much I needed Jesus, just as much as all the people at church did… all this ministry, and all this serving at church would be a waste of time.

This past year we studied the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. We read through Tim Keller’s book the Prodigal God and it was a call for the lost sons to come home. Not only to come home, but to come and enjoy the Father’s company on our true elder brother’s expense. This was the Gospel told to us over and over again. My prayer is that I will remember it and hopefully people in the group will too.

When God calls us home, we are compelled to call others home. People are not defined by their issues, their associations, their status… but rather as individuals in need of God.

This is the blessings of being in community… a community of sinners saved by grace.

Come home.

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

And in a similar way, we can bring our requests to God with similar faith as that widow and God will answer. I see it especially true as a parent. When my children want something, I may ignore then once or twice, but they will ask and ask and ask until I give them a satisfactory response. Yes. No. or Later. But they will ask and ask.

God wants to give us great gifts, He wants to uphold his children, He wants a deep intimate relationship with us… Will you accept your sonship and come to the Father with such faith?

Come. Ask God. and continue to ask God. “Annoy” him with persistence in prayer.

In Luke 12 and even parts of 13, we see Jesus telling his disciples to be ready, to be on their guard for the return of the Master. We will give an account of all that we do.

42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
- Luke 12:42-48

Jesus calls each of us to account. He has placed some in charge of many and others in charge of few, but with all these instances, we have been giving a labor of love for the Lord. Are we doing what has been asked of us? Or do we shirk responsibility? Do we walk in faith or do we hide in fear? As I examine my life, all too often it is the avoiding of responsibility.

Put in your excuse: It’s too hard. I’m tired. I’m not in the mood. I have to take care of something else. Life’s not fair. This isn’t what I signed up for.

A friend used to ask me, what have you done with Jesus lately? This was a penetrating question, since coming to the LORD means dying to self. It means trusting in faith that Christ will do things that I cannot in my natural ability. Jobs and tasks where we are least qualified to perform, Christ will be most glorified when we trust Him.

My temptation is to walk in my strengths, that’s how I look good… but Christ calls each of us to a task that is impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit. That which is demanded of us is an impossible task unless we fall to our knees to be empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit.

You know what you need to do. Trust Jesus. Walk in the Spirit. Praise the Father.

There is no higher calling.

All the events leading up to Jesus crucifixion and burial was one of denial, betrayal, torture, shame… Jesus died for the sins of those who laughed at him, taunted him and rejected him.
Man, I do not know him… Prophesy! Who hit you?… He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God… If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself…

Even in the midst of the worst taunting, the pouring of God’s wrath on the sins of the world… All to redeem God’s people to himself. Jesus took the punishment, took the shame, took the infinite wrath of a HOLY GOD to make us right with the Father.

Thank you Jesus for this great sacrifice, for this great rescue. Thank you our true Elder brother. Thank you… lover of my soul.

We love you.

As Christians we have an audience of One. We seek not to impress men, but God. We don’t even seek to do what feels good. But our heart must be to the One who is the lover of our souls. Our heart must be SO in love with our true LOVER that when other people woo us with praises or when offered the riches of the world we see that our Lover offers us even greater riches in Himself or even ignored, we find our contentment and satisfaction in our Lover.

I’m seeing more and more these days how temptations are grabbing at me. Trying to get me to taste and bite and feel and see and experience and experiment. My heart is so easily capture, enraptured, and prone to unfaithfulness. I am grateful for a forgiving God. I am also grateful that He is interceding for me, helping me, counseling me… for I cannot survive the assault.

Holy Spirit, fix my heart to you. Lord Jesus, my savior and lover of my soul. Father, I long to hear the words “well done, good and faithful servant” but may it come only from you. O how I long to be faithful.

Last night’s bible study was on wealth. We looked at how Proverbs points us to be better stewards of the resources God has given us.

One question that really made me think was how was my wife and I leaving a legacy for my children’s children.

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

My family has a relative long history in America compared to recent immigrants. My great grandfather was the first to come to the U.S., then my grandfather who was born in China, then my dad also born in China came to the U.S. when he was around 10 years old. Which makes me somewhere between a fourth and a second generation American.

But what was interesting was thinking about what kind of heritage my great-grandfather and following left us. American citizenship, financial weath, etc. Some of our group members recognized what a blessing it was to have older generation leave inheritance for younger generation. In what ways could we improve for the benefit of the next generation?

Though most of the discussion focused on wealth and the type of lifestyle, etc. We barely scratched the surface on this idea of leaving an inheritance, a heritage, or a legacy. What kind of legacy do you want to leave future generations? How can you improve on what your parents laid down for you, and with the opportunities that you have?

I think I was really humbled when I recounted my families history from China to America. Wealth is more than just finances, it is a lifestyle, it is how you use it to bless others and those around you, it is what you decide for yourself when you have an ocean of choices. Your wealth can be a tool for you to use to worship God or it can be an idol that we worship.

How are you treating your education, your savings, your talents? Are you using it to its full potential for the glory of God or are you sitting on it and wasting the potential fruits or do you glory in it and make it your god? Looking at my own life, I know I have wasted more than my share of fruit. I need to repent and look to Jesus to honor him with what he has given me.

Luke 12:48 Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

You have been given much in Christ Jesus, and much will be required of you. Do not waste your life.

We need to be more consistent in this area. I feel my wife and I have been lacking in reading and consistent prayer as well. Part of our Winter retreat has been reading time and seeking the Lord. I think having a consistent family devotion/worship time will do us good. I am the head of the household, so I will try to implement this more consistently.

Lord help us in preparing this coming week and have this as part of our life. The bible is the word of God must be foundational to our family, our faith and life. May you bless it O God!

It has been a very, VERY encouraging start to our thursday bible study. God is amazing and has met me especially during this step of faith. My wife and I thought about doing one for a while. Maybe it was fear, maybe it felt like no one wanted to be part of one, maybe because everyone left, or maybe because I felt inadequate, whatever the reason, we pushed it off and pushed it off.

But the first night of our gathering there was confirmation, even people admitting that they’ve been praying about having a bible study for a while as well. As we have entered our fifth week, I can only sense that there is so much potential, not only for the group, but also in my heart to have faith and believe God in all areas.

What I mean is this… I’ve always thought that I needed to provide material, needed to provide songs, support, encouragement, etc. Times I felt like I needed to be the one in charge because I was leading, but I’m slowly realizing that God is in charge. Though we provide a lesson, a message, a time, a place, it is God that works in people’s hearts. It isn’t going to be good food that changes people, it will be an act of the Holy Spirit. He will change us, he will guide us, he will lead us.

The first few meetings we had quick devotionals. I think it was good for me to share more because this is exactly what have been missing as a body. We needed the weak and vulnerable, we needed to remind ourselves that we are jars of clay (2 Cor 4). We hold in ourselves treasures that is so valuable… and then Hosea – God is our lover, the one who woos us and romances us and calls us back to him. He has called us to be his people and his lover. I am again and again drawn back to him because of his irresistible grace.

O God, may You continue to love us and draw us to you. Remind us again and again of who you are and who we are because of Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit work in us that we may be instruments for you to draw others to you. O God. Renew us, renew us as a church, renew us as a body to love you… to love you above all things, above all else.

God also refresh us in you. Help us to draw water and food from you. I think this has been a very helpful part of the bible study is the pre-bible study fellowship dinner. My wife has been working very hard in preparation and we have just been blessed by the food. But we need more than physical food, we need spiritual nourishment. Fill us O God. We are so weak and dry and hungry… we need you. We need you. We NEED YOU.

God, I want to worship you, I want to love you. Holy Spirit empower us. Thank you Jesus.