[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (KD) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
๐๐โโ ๐๐:๐-๐
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As
the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so
neither can you unless you abide in Me. ‘I am the vine, you are the branches; สแด แดกสแด แดสษชแด
แดs ษชษด แดแด แดษดแด
ษช ษชษด สษชแด, สแด สแดแดสs แดแดแดส าสแดษชแด, for apart from Me you can do
nothing.’"
We love to sing the hymn, "Abide
with me" but here it's Jesus who is telling us to abide in Him.
How do we abide? By obeying His
commandments (v10) To what extent? Even to the point of treating your slaves
like friends, and dying for them (v12-13)
Why? ษชแด's าแดส แดแดส แดแดส แดแด สแด แดแดแดแดสแดแดแด! (v11)
๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐พ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐น๐พ๐!
๐๐๐! ๐ท๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐ข ๐๐ ๐ท๐๐!
๐ฃ๐ธ ๐ซ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ช๐น๐น๐ ๐ฒ๐ท ๐๐ฎ๐ผ๐พ๐ผ ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐ซ๐พ๐ฝ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐ป๐พ๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ธ๐ซ๐ฎ๐!
๐๐โโ ๐๐:๐๐
"These things I have spoken to
you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but
take courage; I have overcome the world.”
1. In Christ is Peace.
2. In World is Persecution.
I am both in Christ and in the world.
And yes, there's peace in Christ, and a measure of persecution in this world.
So, when trouble comes, I shouldn't
be surprised, rather, I must be courageous because I am on the side of victory!
Christianity is not a lost cause.
Mission is not a lost cause. Church is not a lost cause. Even if I as an individual
die, Christ's Church will still prevail. And one day the dead in Christ will
attain resurrection and see the last defeat of Satan and the world, and shall
reign with Christ!
All because of Jesus!
๐๐ป๐ช๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฎ, ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ธ๐พ๐ต, ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐๐ฎ๐ช๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ท!
๐๐โโ ๐๐:๐ก
"I am praying for them. I am not
praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are
yours."
Interesting Revelation! That Jesus
wasn't praying for the world, but only for His disciples (btw, that includes
you and me), He prayed for us. Look at verse 20.
God told Jeremiah to stop praying for
the rebellious people of Judah (Jer.14:11).
Apostle John tells us not to pray for
"such" group of sinners (1 John 5:16)
But for today, instead of asking why,
let's rejoice that Jesus prayed for you and me! ๐
๐๐โโ ๐๐ :๐๐
"So they cried out again,
saying, “Not this man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber."
The crowds of Jerusalem would have
anybody but Jesus.
This world will have anybody but
Jesus.
While we, Christians say, "We
would rather forsake everything but Christ!" However, let's not forget
Peter, he said that, and he failed every time he was challenged.
๐๐ธ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ต๐ธ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐ธ ๐๐ฑ๐ป๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ! ๐๐ธ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ต๐ธ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ฃ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฎ! ๐๐ท ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ท๐ญ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ด๐ท๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ผ, ๐ ๐น๐ป๐ช๐!
๐๐โโ ๐๐ก:๐
"Pilate then went out again, and
said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I
find no fault in Him.”
Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. He
knew Jews were hypocrites. He knew Jews were jealous of Jesus. He knew Jesus
would never rebel against him or challenge him. He knew Jesus was a simple,
ordinary, law-abiding, quiet citizen. He even "wanted" to save Jesus.
But Pilate handed Him over to be
crucified.
Many implications to think through,
but this one for today comes to me strongly. Knowledge is not enough, Courage
is needed. Conviction is not enough, Action is needed. Pilate wasn't
courageous, and He didn't act righteously.
Lord, help me to be courageous in
standing firm for the truth. Help me to not only be informed but to be
transformed too.
—Courage in Action—
๐๐โโ ๐๐
๐. ๐๐๐ข ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐ฐ. ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!
๐31 "but
these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name."
๐. ๐ณ๐๐'๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข ๐ ๐๐๐ 2000 ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐?
๐ฐ. ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ผ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐d๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐s, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐. ๐ท๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข 60 ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ "๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐"
๐29 Jesus said to
him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did
not see, and yet believed.”
I haven't seen Christ, have never
heard anything from Him, haven't felt or touched Him. I haven't seen Him in
dreams (even if you see, how do you know it's Him? ๐ For many times
we had stupid dreams!), but I believe Him and believe in Him!
๐๐โโ ๐๐:๐
"Therefore that disciple whom
Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it
was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and
cast himself into the sea."
Judas Iscariot committed suicide full
of remorse.
Jonah the disobedient prophet wished
to be drowned in the sea.
Peter dived into the sea, surely, not
to be drowned nor to experience the miracle of walking on the water again, but
to run to Jesus.
A true believer runs to God for
fellowship, (which had been disturbed/broken by sin), for reconciliation. Yes,
with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, repentance and faith!
As I grow older in Christ, I have
learned to come quickly to Christ in repentance and worship, but I still need
to be quicker.