Mission Blessings is a daily devotional to bring a blessed day for viewers.

MISSION BLESSINGS

Acts 9:19-22 
 
19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. 
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 
 
 
 Today’s title is “At Once He Began to Preach” 
 One of the things that disappoint preachers and pastors most is the people that do not show any change despite their long attendance of the church. Those people are not usually rebellious to the leadership of the church. More often than not, they follow the general rules and orders of the church better than others. They are generally supportive of the leaders. But they do not show any substantial changes in their life and behavior that we pastors often see from others. On the other hand, pastors occasionally see a dramatic change in someone who used to be highly critical or negative to the leaders. Their change comes so quickly and suddenly that even church leaders are greatly surprised. There are these uncanny things in a congregation that no pastors can be self-confident about any things or anybody in the ministry. The conversion of Saul was spectacular and dramatic. It is certainly worthy to be told forever. But what’s even more amazing for many church leaders in the transformation of Paul’s life is his passion for the gospel. In view of many other Christian conversions, Paul’s passion for the gospel was unusually strong even considering the dramatic encounter with the Lord. Such strong passion, unlike many others, quickly turned into an action that continued for the rest of his life without any let-up. We can see such passionate and immediate commitment of new Paul to the preaching of the gospel in today’s passage. Today’s passage shows that Paul at once began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God after he spent only several days in Damascus since he encountered the Lord. And Paul’s gospel message was the hard-core gospel that Jesus is the Messiah. In doing so, he revealed no lack of confidence as if he was made for this moment. Yes, Paul was surely extraordinary in many ways. But I don’t think this passage is merely depicting the great apostle only. I believe this passage challenges us all who continue to remain mediocre Christians who never felt any such passion even though we encountered the same Lord that Saul encountered. I have many things to reproach myself. How about you? Are you not a mediocre Christian who needs the quick and total transformation as we see in Paul? You can and you should. You have the same gospel and the same Lord as Paul. Amen!

Acts 9:19-22

19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

                                               
                Today’s title is “At Once He Began to Preach”  
               One of the things that disappoint preachers and pastors most is the people that do not show any change despite their long attendance of the church.    Those people are not usually rebellious to the leadership of the church.  More often than not, they follow the general rules and orders of the church better than others.  They are generall

At Once He Began to Preach (Acts 9:19-22) Mission Blessings

Acts 8:26-30, 35-39 
 
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 
35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 
 
 Today’s title is “Super Natural Guidance Continues ” 
 
 When the persecution started with the martyr of Stephen, a lot of believers in Jerusalem scattered. The “scattered believers” were forced to leave Jerusalem hurriedly will escape from the persecution. Consequently, when they left Jerusalem, they must have not known where to go and what to do. But they were not aimlessly wandering around and perished. God protected them from the harms of unknown places. He provided for what they needed on the road. God also somewhat meticulously led them to do the ministry of gospels. The ministry of Phillip is just an example of such divine protection, provision, and guidance. We see a good example of divine guidance in today’s passage. God led Phillip who was scattered by the persecution to Samaria and used him mightily. Did Phillip wonder where he should go next after the great crusade in Samaria? Did he pray that God would show which way he should go? I am sure he did. And God’s answer came to him. The angel of the Lord told him to “Go to the South Lord ---the desert Lord that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. . Phillip, when he was scattered, went to Samaria which is the North of Jerusalem. Now the angel of the Lord turned him back to the South near to Jerusalem. “South” and “Desert Road” must have been highly unexpected and unwilling direction to Phillip. Why go back to the “South” from which I ran away? Why desert road? Who will be there that I can witness the gospel? Phillip might have thought to himself. But Phillip followed the voice of the angel. On his way, he met an Ethiopian eunuch who was wandering to find the Messiah from the pages of the book of Isaiah. The Spirit told him there to stay near to them. WE see here God leading and guiding Phillip supernaturally through the angel and the Spirit. What’s remarkable is that the guidance of the angel and the Spirit were so specific and detailed. Have you ever experienced such specific supernatural guidance? I don’t think many of us can claim that we have actually heard the voice of an angel and the Spirit. Personally, I haven’t. But I believe that God still leads us and guides us occasionally in supernatural ways, for God is supernatural all the time. I have experienced supernatural God’s help and guidance which unfortunately I cannot explain very well. I am sure most Christians have and will have such experience of supernatural guidance, especially when you don’t know where to go and what to do. Are you perhaps lost and do not know where to go? Ask God for direction. Wait on and listen carefully. God will surely guide you whether by the angels or the Spirit. Amen!

Acts 8:26-30, 35-39

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the wat

Super Natural Guidance Continues ( Acts 8:26-30, 35-39)  Mission Blessings

Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 
 
Acts 8:14-22 
 
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 
 
Today’s title is “Holy Spirit As The Gift of God” 
 
 The bible says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”. We believers should be ready to give an answer to everyone who wants to know more about our faith. But we often feel at a loss what to say when people ask questions like “What is faith? What is God like? Who is Jesus Christ?”. As a matter of fact, I heard from a person that he never heard a satisfactory answer when he asked “What is faith? to his Christian friend. I am not sure whether I can satisfy the person with good answers. I will have to get myself ready much more to effectively share the hope that is in me. Being a pastor, I think I can give a more reasonable explanation of why many Christians fail to give satisfying answers to such questions. I believe it is very difficult to give a short and precise answer to questions like “What is faith?” because the concept of faith is essentially very broad. Faith is a broad term that has various factors. Faith has intellectual, emotional, and volitional aspects. It has moral and spiritual aspects too. So our answer to the question of faith must take careful consideration of the context and circumstances. As the great persecution broke out in Jerusalem, believers were scattered. By God’s providence, those who are scattered preached the gospel wherever they went. Phillip who was one of the seven deacons went to Samaria where even apostles were reluctant to go before the persecution. Phillip preached the gospel. Great healing and signs and wonders followed his preaching. A lot of people of Samaria accepted the gospel message preached by Phillip with great joy and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Apostles in Jerusalem heard the good news. They sent Peter and John to welcome and encourage and follow up the new converts of Samaria. The apostles particularly prayed that the new converts might receive the Holy Spirit. For them, receiving the Holy Spirit must have been viewed as essential in the life of new converts. They prayed laying hands on them. They received the Holy Spirit. As I read this passage, I wondered what would the apostles do if they come to our churches today. They will surely welcome and encourage us to stay in faith. At the same time, I believe they would do the same thing to help us to receive the Holy Spirit or even more. Many Christians if not all need to receive the Holy Spirit to prevail against the exceedingly hostile world around us. I would certainly need to be filled with the Holy Spirit more. How about you?

Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14-22

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.    18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”    20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the

Holy Spirit As The Gift of God (Acts 8:14-22)  Mission Blessings

Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 
 
2 Chronicles 21:11-15 
 
11 He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray. 12 Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 13 But you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your own family, men who were better than you. 14 So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.’” 
 
 Today’s title is “Jehoram and Elijah” 
 
 Elijah was living in the Northern Kingdom of Israel at the time of Ahab. King Ahab was a notorious idol-worshipper. He and his queen Isabel eagerly promoted and campaigned for the idolatry of Baal and Asherah throughout the kingdom while banning worshipping God. Elijah passionately fought hard against such idolatry of Ahab and Isabel. He wanted to restore the worship of the Lord in the Northern kingdom. Elijah envied the southern kingdom of Judah where kings and people alike worshipped the true God Jehovah at the temple of Jerusalem. Finally, the evil king Ahab died on the battlefield. Elijah must have viewed the death of King Ahab as an opportunity of spiritual revival in the Northern kingdom. “Finally, we can worship the true and living God like the Southern kingdom of Judah”. He might have thought to himself. But Elijah soon heard heartbreaking news from the Southern kingdom. Jehoram, the new king of the Southern kingdom of Judah abandoned the worship of true God unlike his predecessors such as king Jehoshaphat or king Asa and adopted the ways of Ahab. So he wrote a letter that contained the heartbreaking frustrations and righteous anger of God and of himself. Can you imagine the devastating disappointments and frustrations of Elijah? Why did God let Elijah go through such heart-breaking spiritual backsliding of the Southern kingdom as if what he had suffered from the hand of Ahab and Isabel wasn’t enough? Isn’t it just too much for such a faithful servant of God? What do you think? We can fully sympathize with the frustration and anger Elijah. BUt like in Elijah’s days, there are times that the evil just seems to engulf one people after another and one nation after another. In a way, our times are somewhat like that. We deplore and lament like Elijah. We want to seek an audience with God like Elijah for an explanation that makes sense to us. Right? But what does today’s passage tell us? I believe that it tells us that the days of evil are numbered no matter how persistent and prevalent they may look. Ahab went down. Jehoram went down too. But Elijah went up. That’s what really matters, doesn’t it? How about you? Are you going down or going up?

Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 

2 Chronicles 21:11-15 

11 He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.  12 Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: “This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 13 But you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your own family, men who were better than you. 14 So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will be

Jehoram and Elijah (2 Chronicles 21:11-15 )  Mission Blessings

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. 
 
2 Chronicles 21:2-7 
 
2 Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son. 
4 When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 7 Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David, the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever. 
 
 
 Today’s title is “Ahab Vs David” 
 
 Apostle Paul said, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.. No Christian would argue against what Paul said. But no one seems to eagerly act upon it. It is not a pleasant thing for most of us to distance someone even though they are unbelievers. But when we see things from a spiritual perspective, there are clearly times that we need to distance ourselves from some unbelievers, especially when they strongly antagonize God no matter what. That’s not segregation or partiality. That‘s spiritual discernment and wisdom that keeps God’s blessings in our life. As Psalm 1 said, “ Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers. 
 Why does Bible stress spiritually distancing from the unbelieving people so much? We see one very practical reason in today’s passage. In short, when someone or something is so strongly evil, more often than not, the evil can get the best of the goodness in us. We see a good example of such spiritual reality in today’s passage. Jehoram was a son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. Jehoshaphat was a good king in many respects. But somehow he had an intimate fellowship with King Ahab who vigorously promoted Baal worship in the Northern kingdom. They even married their children. Jehoram was the son of Jehoshaphat who married Ahab’s daughter. And look what he did! He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, followed the evil ways of Ahab instead of the godliness of his own father. He even killed all his own brothers. Goldy Jehoshaphat’s intimacy with evil Ahab brought deadly destruction to his own family and his kingdom. That was why God told us not to be yoked with unbelievers. He knows how infectious and influential an unbelieving spirit can be. But you know what’s even more amazing. That’s how strong is God’s faithfulness to his true servant. Infected by Ahab’s evil spirit, Jehoram committed heinous sins before God. Nevertheless, the Lord was not willing to destroy him and his kingdom, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David. God’s final decision was to save the kingdom for David’s sake. Ahab’s evil influence was surely strong. But what prevailed eventually was the spirit of David who loved God so dearly. I believe this is good news to us all too. We ought to avoid being yoked together with unbelievers. But we often find that we somehow have both Ahab and David in us. But we can be assured that what will prevail eventually is the spirit of David as long as we humbly trust in the Son of David. Amen!

Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.  He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab.

2 Chronicles 21:2-7

2 Jehoram’s brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat, were Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azariahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3 Their father had given them many gifts of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.
4 When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. 5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 7 Nevertheless

Ahab Vs David (2 Chronicles 21:2-7)  Mission Blessings

“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 
 
Acts 7:51-60 
 
51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” 
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. 
 
Today’s title is “Jesus standing Right Hand of God” 
 
 One of the most foolish things people do is repeat the same mistakes again and again. But alas, that’s the most popular mistake we make. How unfortunate! Bible warns against it. Bible describes it in different ways such as stubbornness, stiff-neck, and hardened heart. But people still would not change the foolish behavior. Bible even uses an unusually scathing expression such as “As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly (Proverbs 26:11). But someone still would not learn from previous mistakes and repeat the same folly. Redemptive history shows such foolish acts of people more than enough. Whoever reads through the bible can’t help finding the anger and frustration of the Lord at such stubbornness of people. They even denied, rejected, and killed the Son of God who came to save them. Now they were denying the clear manifestation of God’s power and glory through the spirit-filled church and through Stephen. They were attacking the church of Christ and Stephen with false testimonies. Even at his earnest appeal with through reflections of the whole redemptive history, they wouldn’t budge at all. Stephen was frustrated and filled with righteous anger against the rebellious heart of the people against such loving God. He couldn’t hold it anymore and said, “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him”. At such outburst of the righteous anger of Stephen, the people responded with murderous spirit. They were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. Stephen got himself ready for the final moment looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Why was Jesus who is normally seated at the right hand of God standing now? Was He getting ready to receive Stephen the faithful and courageous servant? We may never know. But Stephen knew it. And he gladly yields his spirit to the Lord. He kept praying never taking off his eyes from the Lord while they were stoning him. As I am getting older, I am getting more and more concerned about how I would die as much as how I would live the rest of my life? How about you? Stephen showed us a good example. Live like Christ and die like Him too. Are we following such a path?

“Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Acts 7:51-60

51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwh

Jesus standing at the Right Hand of God (Acts 7:51-60)  Mission Blessings

Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 
 
Acts 7:9-16 
 
 9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. 11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money. 
 
 Today’s title is “Like Joseph, Like Jesus” 
 
 People often say that we love Jesus and we appreciate how He lived and died. Then, they add, “but we will never ever be able to live like Him.” That is certainly true. Such humble confessions are not a bad thing at all. But if such statements are made to insinuate that we wouldn’t have to bother to follow the sacrificial life of Jesus, it would not receive the support of the Bible. Unlike such simplistic humility, Bible presents us with many people who are very Christlike although they are not perfect. One of such Christlike people was Joseph. Joseph indeed has so much Christlikeness that some theologians call Joseph the old testament “type” of Christ. He was the most beloved by his father. He had a great God-given dream or vision. He publicly declared it. He was hated by his own brothers because of it. His own brothers betrayed him and sold him as a slave. He got imprisoned despite his innocence. But because of the suffering, he gained access to the king and was later elevated as the prime minister. There he saved the nations and people including his own from famine. we see the great resemblance of all sinners in Jacob and all his descendants. In Joseph, on the other hand, we see a good example of Christlike life. Joseph, who didn’t understand the profound mystery of salvation when He suffered, later came to know the plan of salvation that God had from a long time ago and was marveled at. Stephen was familiar with the righteous suffering that brings salvation by God’s profound providence. He must have witnessed the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. At the cross, he must have come to know the “ true Joseph” personally who gave Himself not only as a slave but as a sacrifice to save the sinners including himself. He knew he was fully forgiven and completely saved by the sacrificial death of the Lord. Death must have been a terrifying reality to him too. But he decided to deny himself and take up his own cross. As the death of Christ brought many to God and eternal life, so the death of Stephen sowed the seed of salvation for many. We know one particular man who stood at the death of Stephen as an executioner and later encountered the savior of Stephen himself. That was one other than the apostle Paul. Would Stephen know when he died? I guess not. How are you following Jesus? True, you can never be Christ. But you can and you must endeavor to be Christlike. You never know whom you can bring salvation to. Amen!

Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him

Acts 7:9-16

         9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.  11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons 

Like Joseph, Like Jesus ( Acts 7:9-16)  Mission Blessings

Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran 
 
Acts 7:2-8 
 
2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’ 4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’ 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. 
 Today’s title is “Abraham: The Father of Faith” 
 
 The first man on the earth was Adam. In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve after His own image. Therefore, all human beings are the off-springs of Adam. But not many human beings seem to take pride in being the descendants of Adam and Eve. Have you ever seen anyone who proudly claims that he or she is the descendant of Adam? Not at all. Instead, a lot of human beings attribute the root of their sufferings and pain to Adam and Eve. No children of Adam and Eve seem to respect or honor Adam and Eve. How unfortunate it is for them and their children and even for God! The history of humanity might have been all gloomy and dark if it stops there. Human history indeed looked so dark and gloomy in the latter days of Adam and Eve and their descendants in the early chapters of Genesis after the fall. Genesis 6:6 says that the Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled”. How sad! But God couldn’t and didn’t leave human history in such a failure. He raised a totally different generation who would live by faith as God had originally intended. We might call it the faith generation. Abraham was the forerunner of the new faith generation. Physically speaking, Abraham was a descendant of Adam too. But spiritually speaking, Abraham sows the seed of salvation and life even for Adam. Abraham with God’s sovereign grace started a new human history which we call “Redemptive History”. Only with the redemptive history in our view, we can have any hope in human history. No wonder, Stephen, the great man of faith, had a firm view of redemptive history that started from Abraham. Faced with the imminent death threat, he didn’t lose sight of the panoramic view of the redemptive history that started from Abraham and ended with Jesus the promised seed of Abraham. The panoramic view of the redemptive history is grand and great. What’s amazing about it is that it all started from one humble man of faith. As such life of faith of Abraham is wonderous, so is my and your humble life of faith. We are living in the same stream of faith nurtured and fed by the same grace and love of God. How marvelous it is! As long as you are flowing in the stream of such love and grace, the world is not worthy of them. Stephen’s life and death prove it. Are you glad that you are living and drinking in the same stream of redemptive grace?

Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran

Acts 7:2-8

2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’  4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and 

Abraham The Father of Faith (Acts 7:2-8)  Mission Blessings

All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 
 
Acts 6:8-15 
 
 8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. 
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 
 
 Today’s title is “Live Like Jesus to Die like Jesus” 
 
 I would think that there are many who preach that if you obey Jesus and live like Jesus, you will be blessed greatly. People who heard such sermons will try to live like Jesus to be blessed. As a pastor who is familiar with the real-life of the people, I can hardly deny that those who endeavor to live like Jesus become more blessed than others in many ways. But that’s never a hard and fast rule. Bible often shows that godly lives end up in greater sufferings. No wonder some innocent people who just believed the simple formula of blessings gets frustrated. Spiritual leaders and teachers need to be more true to what the Bible says. Today’s passage shows one good example of a wonderful Christian life. Stephen was a great man of God full of God’s grace and power. His godliness was recognized by both god and man. He served the needy people as one of the seven deacons who waited on the table. He had a profound understanding of God’s work which is reflected in his sermon. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he performed great wonders and signs. It seems to me that Stephen was a small embodiment of Christ. He was indeed a little Jesus. So what was God’s reward for such a godly life? Today’s passage seems to me to imply that it is to die like Christ. Godly and faithful Stephen goes through what Jesus went through almost exactly. Because of his faithfulness to God, he was hated by some. Knowing that they couldn’t stand up against his wisdom, they falsely accused him of something he never has done. Stephen then was seized and brought to the Sanhedrin for a trial like Jesus was. Then he was stoned to death. So the bible almost seems to say that if you live like Jesus, you can die like Jesus. Am I exaggerating? I think I am not. I am merely reflecting on what the Bible seems to say. Of course, I am not saying that we should all die the martyr’s death like Stephen. I am just saying that we are too often misled to preach and to hear man-pleasing messages that have no biblical warrants. I confess that I have made the same errors. I can’t help regretting it as I am facing the somber truth in the biblical narratives of Stephen in a refreshing way. How about you? Are you eagerly trying to follow Jesus? Good! So what do you expect as a reward for such faithfulness? Are you willing to take it if it is to die like Christ as Stephen? Then you must be truly following Jesus. Amen!

All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 6:8-15

 8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”   12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this plac

Live Like Jesus to Die like Jesus (Acts 6:8-15)  Mission Blessings

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 
 
Acts 5:34-41 
 
34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” 
40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 
 Today’s title is “Remember Gamaliel” 
 
 Pharisees have been the most prominent oppressor of the Lord. The Lord also criticized them for their religious formalism and hypocrisy. Those are all facts. But we should not rush to categorically deny Pharisees as the enemy of the Lord or gospel. Ironically, Christianity is indebted significantly to some Pharisees who got out of the mainstream Pharisees and received the gospel of Christ. A good example of such Christian Pharisees will be Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. Although they were not publicly following Jesus during His ministry, they showed their faith after Christ was crucified by boldly taking care of His burial. Another marvelous example of Converted Pharisees will be the apostle Paul. He said that he was the Pharisee of Pharisees before He came to know the Lord. In today’s passage, we see another Pharisee who showed a non-biased attitude toward the gospel of Christ if not actively supported it. Gamaliel was probably the highest-ranked Pharisees among all the Pharisees we mentioned. Not only his name is recorded in the Bible, but he also had a great reputation in the history of Judaism. He was either the president or at least an influential senior member of the Sanhedrin. According to Jewish history, he was so revered among the Israelites that even a king would ask his advice. Apostle Paul said that he studied under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He was such as man of honor. We see why he was in today’s passage. Citing several historical examples, he persuaded the whole council of Sanhedrin to be more patient with the Christians. Gamaliel’s speech literally saved the lives of the apostles. So, was Gamaliel a Christian like Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea? We will never know. But one thing is clear. God used him to help out the church and believers at the time of crisis. I am glad that I have encountered many people like Gamaliel in my own life. They were not believers yet, but somehow render critical services when a church or a believer is in crisis. What prompted them to do so? We don’t know that either. But what’s clear is that God is behind all this. Right? So, should we be grateful to those Gamaliel's? Absolutely! We own it to them. Furthermore, although we are not sure, they are very close to God’s heart. Many of them will eventually come to the Lord I believe. If not, God can still use them powerfully as they have saved us from the crisis. Do you have your own Gamaliel? Did you thank him and remember him?

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 

Acts 5:34-41

34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will

Remember Gamaliel (Acts 5:34-41)  Mission Blessings

ut during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” 
 
Acts 5:17-23 
 
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” 
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. 
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to. 
 
 Today’s title is “Let The Angels Open Your Prison” 
 
 We Christians often think that everything will go well if we just obey and serve the Lord faithfully. We even expect that we wouldn’t have any problem if only we do not sin. I don’t think that this is necessarily bad or wrong. Being faithful to the Lord certainly changes our life. It leads us into the blessings that the world would never know or give. But if you measure God’s return or reward on short-sighted worldly things only, you may well be very disappointed and frustrated. We need to look farther and longer. Having witnessed the death and resurrection of the Lord with their own eyes, the disciples and believers of the early church were highly dedicated and were very faithful. Especially after they received the Holy Spirit, they became totally different kinds of people. They preached the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly and faithfully in full obedience to the Lord. But that didn’t solve all the problems. In fact, such passionate obedience brought more problems. The religious leaders were filled with jealousy and anger against the church. They intensified their persecutions. They arrested apostles and put them in jail. They probably planned to kill them after the full assembly the next day as they did with the Lord. Should the apostles die like Jesus? They would be willing, but not at this time. They have missions yet to be accomplished. So during the night God sent the angels of the Lord and open the door of the prison, telling them “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.” So here we see a good example of how the Christian life works. We might have more problems and challenges as we live by faith. True. But as long as we are faithfully working on the mission that God has given to us, God protects us from and delivers us out of the evil hands. What is your life mission? It could vary. It may not be as dramatic as that of apostles. But as long as you are faithfully working on it, you may see the angel open your prison door. Any genuine Christian can testify to it. How about you? Are you being faithful? Then you will definitely see angels open your prison.

ut during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.  “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

Acts 5:17-23

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards stan

Let The Angels Open Your Prison  (Acts 5:17-23)  Mission Blessings

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 
 
Acts 5:12-16 
 
12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. 
 
 Today’s title is “Solomon’s Colonnade” 
 
 Have you been to the Holy Land? If you have not, I strongly recommend you to have a trip to the Holy Land if you can afford it at all. It may well be included in any Christian’s bucket list. I understand that there would be people who do not agree with me. Indeed, we Christians are not obligated to take a trip to the Holy Land as in some other religions. Bible is sufficient for us. Period! But I am just recommending the trip because I personally was blessed a lot with a trip to the Holy Land. Although there is not much left from the time of Christ, just standing in the land where the Lord stood once gave me an awesome feeling. When I was standing on the Mount of Olive looking down at the temple site, I could envision the Lord conversing with disciples about the temple and His own body. But that’s about it. You can never go back to the time of the Lord. But if I can go back to the time, one of the places I want to visit is Solomon’s Colonnade that is mentioned in today’s passage. This structure was on the east side of the temple and was covered with a roof, thus providing more protection from the weather than the temple courtyards. Passing west through Solomon’s Porch would place one in the Court of the Gentiles. So this area is one of the most open spaces where people can gather rather freely in the temple area. The Lord Jesus frequented here when He came to Jerusalem. John 10:23 says It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. Then He began to engage with the people rather freely there. In today’s passage, we see the believers of the early church used to meet there. So it was one of the most original sites of the early churches. I can almost imagine preachings, prayers, praises, and lively conversations of believers. That must have been small primitive heaven on earth. The historic old Solomon’s Colonnade is no longer exists. But by God’s grace, we have a new Solomon’s Colonnade. What is it? It is the local churches everywhere on earth. There we have preachings, prayers, and praises same as it was in the original Solomon’s Colonnade. There we feel the presence of the Lord. How precious are those new Solomon’s Colonnades!! Are you a part of the blessed gathering in Solomon’s Colonnade? Do you see the Lord walking into your Solomon’s Colonnade day by day and week by week?

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 

Acts 5:12-16

12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

                                    Today’s title is  “Solomon’s Colonnade”

        Have you been to the Holy Land?  If you have not, I strongly recommend you to have a trip to the Holy Land if you can afford it at all.  It

Solomon’s Colonnade (   Acts 5:12-16 )  Mission Blessings

‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up 
 and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one. 
 
Acts 4:23-26 
 
23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: 
“‘Why do the nations rage 
 and the peoples plot in vain? 
26 The kings of the earth rise up 
 and the rulers band together 
against the Lord 
 and against his anointed one. 
 
 
 Today’s title is “When the Nations Rage Against the Lord” 
 
 Christians are always concerned about the time and place that they live in. Christians in our times are no exception. In fact, we have a great many reasons to be concerned about our own time. A lot of nations where Christianity used to be strong are rapidly losing the vigor and interest in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Churches are losing members. Seminaries are getting closed. The passions for the mission and lost souls are dwindling fast. What is even worse is that many national leaders are openly against Christianity. They support and promote policies that are highly antithetical to the biblical teachings. Many laws are promulgated that make Christians keep and live in biblical at odds with the worldly authorities. Sometimes, it even appears that the biblical teachings and institutions will gradually die out if the current trend persists. What do you think? I think such concern is valid and needed at this time. At the same time, we should never forget how the forefathers of faith blazed the trail of fire throughout history to rekindle the spiritual fire in their times. Early Churches were having the most vibrant spiritual revival. Wonders and miracles were almost daily occurrences. People were coming to churches in drove. Nevertheless, they were constantly facing threats and persecutions. The worldly forces came together again to put out the rekindling Jesus movement. They seized Peter and John before them and threatened them not to preach in Jesus’ name. But they only found out that the timid followers of dead Jesus Christ were somehow greatly emboldened. They even say boldly, “ Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You are the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” The worldly leaders could not hold them in prison anymore and let them go free. The church took the release of Peter and John as a spiritual victory against the worldly leaders. They sang the Psalm of David who similarly suffered from the worldly leaders but finally prevailed in God.

‘Why do the nations rage   and the peoples plot in vain?  The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together against the Lord  and against his anointed one.

Acts 4:23-26

23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
“‘Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
against the Lord
    and against his anointed one.

                
  Today’s title is “When the Nations Rage Against the Lord”  
             
          Christians are always concerned about the time and place that they live in.    Christians in our times are no exception.   In fact

When the Nations Rage Against the Lord (Acts 4:23-26)  Mission Blessings

You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. 
 
Acts 3:13-21 
 
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. 
17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 
 
 Today’s title is “You Killed The Author of Life” 
 
 A preacher said that the role of a preacher is to make people stand in front of the throne of God here on earth before they actually stand before the white throne of God in heaven. Have people stand before the throne and see the glory and power of God. But have them stand before God and see how frightening it is for a sinner to stand before the righteous God. If a preacher succeeds in doing so, people will look more desperately and intensely for a redeemer who will advocate for them in front of God. How true? What is unfortunate is that many preachers in our days disregard such insightful advice and spend most of their messages on worldly wisdom. We see a good example of a sermon that makes people stand before the white throne of God in today’s passage. Peter and John healed a beggar who was lame from birth. As the people at the temple got to know what happened to the beggar, they were all filled with wonder and amazement. Peter used it as an opportunity to present the throne view of the redemptive work of Christ to them. Peter briefly mentions the glory of Jesus that is from ancient of old. Then he rather abruptly takes people before the throne of God where Jesus is seated with God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then He tells them point-blank. “You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life”. The thunderous voice of Peter might have terrified the listeners. They were indeed sinners at the hand of angry God at the moment. The fiery eyes of the righteous God must have been piercing through them. They should have wanted to hide in anywhere if it is possible at all. They must have wanted to go under the cover of anybody if there is any at all. How can anyone hope to spare their life when he killed the author of life? Have you ever heard such soul-searching and heart-sunken fiery message lately? Sermons don’t have to be this way all the time. But we need to hear such a message at least occasionally. Peter rightly adds the good news to the fiery message. He said, Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”. Good news can be truly good when people fully understand the horrible fate without the true advocate in heaven. Amen!

You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. 

Acts 3:13-21

13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins ma

You Killed The Author of Life (Acts 3:13-21)  Mission Blessings

ur God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 
 
2 Chronicles 20: 1-4, 12-15 
 
1After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. 
12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. 14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. 15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 
 
 Today’s title is “Our Eyes Are On You”. 
 
 Christians believe that all the things that they have come from God. They believe that they are just stewards of what God has given them. Furthermore, they even believe that all that they do are for God. That is exactly what the Bible says. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1st Corinthian 10:31). But it is not easy to do it in reality. For the most part of our life, when we do something, it is not easy to tell whether we do it for ourselves or for God. But what about God? God is not like us. He looks into our hearts. He knows exactly whether we work for Him or for ourselves. Obviously, He cares more when we work and fight for Him. When we work for Him, It becomes His work. When we fight for Him, it becomes His fight. When it becomes His fight, the victory is guaranteed. So how can we make our fight His fight? WE see a good example of it in today’s passage. Jehoshaphat Ns his people are facing an invasion from a vast united army of Moabites, Ammonites, and some of Meunites. They were speedily marching against Jerusalem. They had no power to face the vast army, They did not know what to do. But they knew one thing. They could turn to God quickly and wholeheartedly. Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. Then the king cried out to God in prayer, “Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you”. “Our eyes are all on you” wasn’t just prayer. Indeed all of their eyes were on God. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. When their eyes were all on God as such, God’s assurance came to them, saying “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but Mine.” The battle ended then and there. What is your fight at this time? How are you fighting it? Now we know how to become victorious in our fights? We can win the battle when our fight becomes His fight. Our fight becomes His fight when all of our eyes are on God, Indeed, whether we eat or drink, whatever we do, we can make our life God’s fight if we kook to God with all of our eyes. Are you fighting in such a victorious way?

ur God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 

2 Chronicles 20: 1-4, 12-15     

1After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.  2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom,  from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”   13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.  14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of

Our Eyes Are On You (2 Chronicles 20: 1-4, 12-15 )  Mission Bl;essings

Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors 
 
2 Chronicles 19:1-7 
 
When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, 2 Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is on you. 3 There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.” 
4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 5 He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 6 He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. 7 Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.” 
 
 Today’s title is “Increase Your Goodness” 
 
 We want to be right before God perfectly if it is at all possible. But it is not possible as we all know. No one is perfect before God. It is indeed true as Job’s friend Bildad said, “If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot— a human being, who is only a worm! (Job 25: 5)”. So what do we do? Do we give up on trying to be good? Not at all! We should humbly acknowledge that we cannot measure up to the perfect standard of God no matter how hard we try. Only the righteous Son of God can make us right with God. Then what? We get a glimpse of the answer for that in today’s passage. Jehoshaphat king of Judah was a godly king. He was one of the best kings in the history of Israel by any standard. But he wasn’t perfect. He had a critical mistake before God. He aligned himself with Ahab the evil king of the northern kingdom. Jehu the seer pointed it out clearly. “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is on you.” Jehoshaphat became speechless. He already knew his own sin. He almost lost his own life because of the sin. “What else God wanted me to do to pay for the sin?”, he might have murmured himself. Then God said through the prophet. “There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.” Surely God does not have narrow tunnel vision. He was looking at the brighter side of Jehoshaphat too. I believe what God told Jehoshaphat to do was “So keep doing and even more what is good while stop doing what was bad.” At least that was how Jehoshaphat understood God’s message. So he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. How good are you? Or how bad are you? Like Jehoshaphat, we all have some good and some bad. Our goodness can never save us. Our badness can never destroy us. It is only by God’s grace that we are saved. But we are told to keep doing what is good in us and even more, while stop and decrease what is bad in us. Are you following the path of godliness?

Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors

2 Chronicles 19:1-7

When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, 2 Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the wrath of the Lord is on you. 3 There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.”
4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 5 He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 6 He told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a v

Increase Your Goodness subtitle (2 Chronicles 19:1-7)  Mission Blessings

Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war. 
 
 
2 Chronicles 18:1-3 
 
Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war. 
 
 Today’s title is “Who is your friend” 
 
 Jehoshaphat was a godly man. The chronicler rated him very highly. His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord. He removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah. He also encouraged the people of Israel to follow the ways of the Lord by teaching the word of God from the book of the Law. He sent out his officials, Levites, and priests around the country to teach people the word of God. “They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people (2 Chronicles 17:9). He was blameless in all these things. God blessed him. God heaped up him with wealth and honor that was flowing from in and out. But there was one issue with him that shadowed all the brighter side of his reign. That was his unwavering friendship with King Ahab of the northern kingdom. He even allied himself with Ahab by marriage. Why did he maintain such an alliance and friendship with the notoriously evil man who worshiped idols and persistently persecuted godly people such as Elijah? Maybe it was Ahab’s hospitality to him as we see in today’s passage. Maybe it was a part of his foreign policy. He probably didn’t want to continue the hostility between the south and north. He might have thought that they were brethren who had the same forefathers. Indeed he said to Ahab who courted him to join in his war, “I am as you are, and my people as your people.” What would you say about such personal commitment of a good man to an evil friend? Would you say that he was such a nice man who showed such a friendship to the evil man? Bible apparently does not. Jehoshaphat might have gained peace with the North by becoming Ahab’s friend. But he gained other enemies. Jehoshaphat might have temporary peace through friendship with evil. But he sowed the seed of much greater conflicts in the future. Going into Ahab’s war to gain and maintain the humanistic favor, he ran the risk of losing his own life. He was barely saved by God who remembered his faithfulness to the Lord. Not only that, he also sowed the greater seed of the conflicts in the future. Who is your friend? Whom are you allied with? We should never the issue lightly. It can make a difference of day and night for our life. “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)” . How true?

Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.


2 Chronicles 18:1-3

Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.

                  Today’s title is  “Who is your friend” 
         
                Jehoshaphat was a godly man.   The chronicler rated him very highly.   His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord.  He removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.  He also encouraged the people of Israel to follow the ways of the Lord by teaching the word of God from the book of the Law.  He sent out his officials, Levites

Who is your friend?  (2 Chronicles 18:1-3)  Mission Blessings

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. 
 
2 Chronicles 16:7-12 
 
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.” 
10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. 
11 The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. 
 
 Today’s title is “Finishing Well Matters” 
 Asa was one of the better kings in the history of Israel. He was humble and faithful before God in the early years of his reign. God saw it and blessed him in many ways. God saved him from ferocious invaders such as Egyptians and Cushites who wielded mighty powers. I believe some of Asa’s words and are one of the greatest anthologies of the Bible and worthy to be ingrained in the hearts of all Christians. One that I personally love is his prayer to God when he was facing the mighty Cushite army. He said, “ Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord, our God, for we rely on you, and in your name, we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.”. This prayer shows his wholehearted trust in the mighty God. He not only believed it in his mind but acted on such trust right before the huge enemy. He started and led the great spiritual revival of the kingdom. So we are surprised and shocked at his sudden about-face as we see in today’s passage. Here, the seer or prophet Hanani rebuked Asa as relying on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God. At the rebuke, Asa didn’t humble and repent before God. He rather gets angry at Hanani and puts him in prison. Not only did he put Hananiah in prison, but he brutally oppressed some of the people. Hanani’s words were proved to be true later on when he did not seek help from the Lord but only from the physicians for his afflicted feet. What happened to Asa? What caused him to make such an about-face? We will never know. But what we know is that potentially anybody can make such a bad about-face of faith despite such an admirable past. For some, old age trigger lose faith, For others, youthful pride can cause fall. For some, long and delayed answers to prayers can dry them spiritually. Others become too proud after miraculous answers and blessings from God. In short, we are all so vulnerable that we can fall into backsliding at any time. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! ( 1st Corinthians 10:12). But when you fall, don’t forget what the Lord said, “for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again (Provers 24:16). Which words do you need to heed now?

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians.

2 Chronicles 16:7-12 

7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites  and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”
10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.
11 The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the boo

Finishing Well  Matters (2 Chronicles 16:7-12 )  Mission Bl;essings

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 
 
2 Chronicles 15: 10-15 
 
10 They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 At that time they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back. 12 They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side. 
 
 Today’s title is “Grace Renewed” 
 
 One of the greatest blessings of God for His people is that He makes a covenant with us. God makes a covenant with us as if we are equal partners to Him. Through the covenant that He enters with people, God not only binds people but also Himself. Although God’s covenant with His people had various forms depending on the circumstances, there are essential underlying elements at the basis of all the covenants. We can sum it up as “You will be my people and I will be your God”. The basic motto of all the covenants whether it was with Adam, Abraham, Moses, or David was it. Through the covenants, God pledges that He will be our God. He will lead us, multiply us, bless us, care for us, forgive us and be with us forever with love. In return, people pledge that they will glorify God by worshipping Him, being faithful to Him, and living in a way to honor Him with love. God has faithfully kept all the covenants. People, on the contrary, have broken the covenants with God over and over again starting from Adam. But God is almost always ready to restore and renew the broken covenants. We see one such example in today’s passage. God’s covenant with David and Solomon has been broken by the successors such as Rehoboam. People followed the king in deserting God. With the spiritual decline, the overall welfare of the kingdom plunged too. Kingdom became divided. Foreign countries who were subjugated in the reign of David and Solomon now ceaselessly threatened them. King Asa was able to see the clear connection between the spiritual decline and the decline of the kingdom’s welfare. The only way to restore the previous blessings was to return to the Lord. He gathers all the people of Israel in Jerusalem and renews their covenant with God. They pledge to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul. All who would not seek the Lord were to be put to death. They did it wholeheartedly and they sought God eagerly. As a result, God was found by them. He gave them rest on every side. It is as simple as that. This is the unchanging principle of loving God. We broke the covenants. We abandoned God. God has all the covenantal rights to abandon us. But He still has not ceased to have compassion for us. No matter how screwed up you are, no matter how far off you are from God, if you return wholeheartedly to God and seek Him eagerly, He will restore you and surround you with His peace. Have you ever received such grace of renewed love and blessings from God? I have a lot of it. If you haven’t, you can receive it now. Just return to Him wholeheartedly and seek Him eagerly. He will surely be found. Amen!

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.

2 Chronicles 15: 10-15

10 They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 At that time they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back. 12 They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.

                   Today’s title is “Grace Renewed”  
            
          One of the greatest blessings of God for His people is th

Grace Renewed (2 Chronicles 15: 10-15) Mission Blessings

Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. 
 
2 Chronicles 14:9-13 
 
9 Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10 Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. 11 Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.” 12 The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. 
 
 
 Today’s title is “Powerless Against the Mighty” 
 
 Man is great in many ways. We are frequently awe-struck by the amazing things that humans have made. I still remember how I felt when I was standing at the pyramid in Egypt. Humans were able to build such a great tomb thousand of years ago. Look what they have achieved now with the great modern civilization. It almost seems as if they have reached the top of the tower of Babel that was interrupted by God when their predecessors became so arrogant. What do you think? It is true that man has a greatness that has no parallel in the world. But do you know what? Man has great weakness and frailty as well. Man is highly limited in the span and space of life. They may know and do something. But that’s like a drop in a bucket compared to the unknown and undone. They may figure out great galaxies that are light-years away. But they don’t know what’s in store for them a few moments away too. If a man really knows who he is, I am sure that he would dare not boast in what he has done. Then, how can we really know who we are? We know who we are best when we know God. People boast in themselves mostly because they don’t know God. When we know God, we come to know how powerless we are. Will the knowledge of his own powerlessness discourage man? Not at all, only if you know God. The greatness of God fills the vacuum of man’s frailty. Today’s passage shows a good example of that. Cushite Army marched against the Judah. They were a formidable army with three hundred chariots and a vast number of soldiers. Asa, the king of Judah became terrified at the sight of the Cushite army. It was so clear that his own army would be no match to them. His own army looked so pitiful before the mighty army of Cushites! This scene reminds me of many moments in my life where I was completely terrified like Asa. Here were many times that my enemies or the tasks or responsibilities before me were so overwhelming. Have you also had such moments? I am sure you have. What did you do? I think I didn’t know what to do at all at first. Then, I began to learn what Asa did here. Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord, our God, for we rely on you, and in your name, we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.” Asa was right. God heard the desperate prayer of the powerless and struck down the Cushites. Yes, we were no match to Cushites. But Cushites were even more so to God. How powerless do you feel about yourself? How desperate are you? If your know it truly, it is a blessing. A lot of people still do not have that knowledge. Now you only need to cry out like Asa, for, there is no one like our God to help the powerless against the mighty. Amen!

Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. 

2 Chronicles 14:9-13

9 Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10 Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.    11 Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.”    12 The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed 

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