January 31:  Accepting His Love.

HIS GOODNESS.
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."--Matthew 5:44, 45


One of the faith heroes among the Anabaptists was a man named Dirk Willems, born in the Netherlands.  Due to his newfound faith and re-baptism, he was condemned and arrested.  He was able to escape prison and cross a frozen pond.  But a guard, who had noticed his escape, pursued him and fell into the icy waters, yelling for help.  Willems knew the price he would have to pay for helping him, yet he could not refuse.  He helped his pursuer get out of the freezing waters, which meant that Willems was recaptured and eventually burned at the stake.

God's love for humans motivated the plan of salvation, which meant that Jesus died in our place while we didn't want anything to do with Him.  "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).  We did not deserve it and we still don't.  It is with this understanding that Jesus' followers are empowered to love their enemies and pray for those who oppress them.  God's goodness flows into the believers' hearts and spills over into the world, even toward those who make their lives difficult.  We are called to love our enemies and not to retaliate (Matthew 5:39, 44).  Note that the singular word "enemy" (verse 43) is changed to the plural "enemies" in the next verse (verse 44).  The audience of Jesus would have had many different types of enemies: among them the Romans, as political oppressors, and tax collectors, who were considered traitors.  Yet, by using the plural with no exceptions, Jesus makes an all-encompassing pronouncement: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (verses 44, 45).  A practical way of loving our enemies is to pray for them, imitating our heavenly Father, whose goodness provides the sun and the rain on those who worship him and those who don't.  May the love that Jesus has bestowed upon us overflow towards our fellowmen, even for those who persecute us.

My Response:__________________________________________________

January 30:  Accepting His Love.

HIS UNITY.
"I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me."--John 17:23

I have participated in satellite evangelistic series, where many people come together in one area to plan and organize meetings that are televised with the purpose of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  One of the most encouraging aspects of these experiences is to watch people, with different backgrounds and unique skills, come together with an evangelistic purpose in mind: to share God's redemption through Jesus and His love for humanity.

In his Gospel, John records a prayer of Jesus that has been called "the High Priestly prayer."  In it, He petitions the Father that His followers may become united with an evangelistic purpose: "That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they may also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that you sent Me" (John 17:21).  Each beloved believer is unique in the eyes of God, and He has not asked us to give up our God-given individuality.  The purpose of unity is always to make Jesus known to the world.  Jesus continues: "I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity [Greek: perfected into one], so that the world may know that you sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me" (verse 23).  The purpose of the unity is not sameness but an evangelistic message: making Jesus and His love for all known.  It is a privilege to be in a group of people whose primary aim is to proclaim the love of God, as manifested in Jesus.  By the way, did you realize from this verse that God wants you to know that He loves you?  And that the Father loves you as He loves Jesus!  Wow!  And not only that: He wants you to be with Him for eternity!  "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am" (verse 24).  I personalize this verse: "I want Elizabeth to be with Me."  Place your name there too, because Jesus desires you to be with Him!  May we be part of a community that is one in Jesus, with the purpose of sharing Jesus with the world!

My Response:_________________________________________

January 29:  Accepting His Love.

HIS EVALUATION.
"Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."--Luke 12:7


By the time I was six years old, my mother had saved my life many times.  She had rescued me when I was drowning in a pool, she had run many miles when I was bleeding to death, and she had taken me to the hospital on several occasions when I couldn't breathe due to an asthma attack, just to name a few.  As a kid, I was sure about one thing: I had great value in my parents' eyes.  And that realization shaped my view of God as well.

The way God values each one of us should be a source of assurance for our souls.  Jesus used images of nature to remind us that God cares for the smallest of flowers and animals, and that we are much more valuable than those.  Moving from lesser to greater, Jesus utilized an argument style called qal wahomer ("how much more"), assuring His disciples that if God cares for the most insignificant of birds, how much more does He care for human beings, created in His image!  I love the passage in Luke 12:6, 7: "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents?  Yet not one of them is forgotten before God....Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."  In other words, if God knows and cares for these birds, even though five of them are sold two pennies, then how much more does God care for you!  His loving evaluation of us, and what we mean to Him, is a guarantee that He knows us and cares for us.  Why fear, if we know that He places such great value on us?  The context of this verse is that even when facing persecution, difficulties, and hardship, we shouldn't ever doubt if God cares for us.  He is sovereign and His wisdom surpasses our understanding of the situations we face in our lives, yet we can always count on His care for us.  We are never forgotten!  He knows everything about us; even "the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (verse 7).  He knows every hurt, every tear, and every heartbreak; He cares about our afflictions.  Don't forget that He valued us so highly that He gave His life to save ours.  During difficult days, watch the birds, and remember how God views you.  Yes, in God's view, you are much more valuable than many sparrows!

My Response:______________________________________________

January 28:  Accepting His Love.

HIS GENEALOGY.
The son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.--Luke 3:28

Lately, the number of DNA testing companies have grown considerably, reflecting an increasing desire to find our ancestry.  There is a renewed interest in establishing one's genealogy.  "Genealogy [is] the study of family origins and history.  Genealogists compile lists of ancestors, which they arrange in pedigree charts or other written forms.  The word genealogy comes from two Greek words--one meaning 'race' or 'family' and the other 'theory' or 'science.'  Thus is derived 'to trace ancestry,' the science of studying family history." *

Luke provides an extensive genealogy of Jesus, and places it between His baptism (Luke 3:21, 22) and the temptations in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13).  Luke begins this section by stating that Jesus was about thirty years of age when He started His public ministry; thirty was considered the age of full maturity and, therefore, the time when a person could manage adult responsibilities and public office (for examples, see Joseph in Genesis 41:46, and David in 2 Samuel 5:4).  While Matthew presents the ancestry of Jesus to Abraham (Matthew 1:2), Luke traces it back all the way to Adam,son of God, which is another pointer to the fact that he is trying to depict how the whole human race is included in the plan of salvation (Luke 3:23-38).  Using a reverse order, Luke recognizes Jesus as part of the human race, tracing His ancestry back to the first human--Adam, the son of God, thus confirming the divine Source of humankind.  We were made in God's image (Genesis 1:26).  Don't ever let anybody tell you that you are less than others...you are a child of God, created in God's image!  In spite of His miraculous birth (Luke 1:35; 3:22), Jesus became one with us, in order to be the Second Adam and to gain the victory for the human race, because the first Adam had failed (1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 5:19).  Jesus was fully God and fully human.  Are you painfully aware of your failures, of not qualifying as a child of God?  Jesus is our Representative, whose obedience and death are ascribed to us.  In the perfect Son of God, we are accepted as God's own children.  Praise be to Jesus, our Savior!

My Response: ______________________________________________________
* Encyclopedia Britannica Online, Leslie Gilbert Pine, "Genealogy," last modified Feb. 22, 2017, https:// www.britannica.com/topic/genealogy.

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:_________________________________________________