Devo Luke 23

Chapter 23

26As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in
from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and
wailed for him. 28Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not
weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the time will come
when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and
the breasts that never nursed!’ 30Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on
us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ‘ 31For if men do these things when the tree is
green, what will happen when it is dry?”  32Two other men, both criminals, were
also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the
Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the
other on his left. 34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what
they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  35The people
stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others;
let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”  36The soldiers
also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, “If you
are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”  38There was a written notice above him,
which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  39One of the criminals
who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and
us!”  40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since
you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting
what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  42Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  43Jesus answered him,
“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”


  Meditation:
1. Jesus bore much suffering on the cross.  The road to follow Christ is one of the
cross.  We must be prepared to suffer and even to die just as Jesus did.  Am I
afraid?  Will I continue to go on this road?
2. Just before his death, Jesus prayed and asked God to forgive those who
crucified Him.  Come to think of it, isn’t my attitude toward Jesus similar to
those people that day, rebellious, neglecting, even rejecting Him?  Indeed, I
was among the crowd putting Jesus to death.  So, Jesus’ prayer has included
forgiveness for me, the sinner.
3. Continue to meditate on this thought.  Afterward, offer a prayer of
thanksgiving to God.

Personal Notes:
I am willing to suffer for the sake of Christ.  God has given me hope and life.  It is through suffering and sacrifice that one's love is shown.  Christ's suffering and sacrifice is enough and I am not suffering for the sake of getting saved.  Rather, I am grateful for the gift of life that I am willing to suffer for God's kingdom.

Suffering practically can mean: serving and helping brothers and sisters who are in need, spend time and listen to their pains and joy, sleeping less so I can spend more time to care for them, ridiculed from non-believers for living a foolish life...

I am one of those people who was rebellious towards Jesus.  I was among the crowd putting Jesus to death.  Jesus Christ has forgive me of my sins.  I am to forgive those who mock God's name and love them and lead them to the love of Jesus Christ.

Devo Luke 20

19The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him
immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they
were afraid of the people. 20Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who
pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that
they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21So the
spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right,
and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with
the truth. 22Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”  23He saw through
their duplicity and said to them, 24”Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and
inscription are on it?”  25”Caesar’s,” they replied.   He said to them, “Then give
to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”  26They were unable to
trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they
became silent.
 
Meditation:
1. Jesus explained here that the demands of the state and the demands of God
are not the same.  He suggests it is possible to meet both at the same time, but
he never suggests that obeying one is exactly the same as obeying the other.
In fact, very soon, obedience to God would mean disobedience to the Roman
emperor.  The early church has defied the Jewish authorities, “We must obey
God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29).
2. On the demand of the state of personal income tax, and the demand of tithing
and offering for God’s church, how obedient am I?
3. In giving myself to God, am I in the 15%, 30%, 50% or 100% “tax bracket”?

Personal Note:
It is possible and in fact commanded by God to submit to God and the authorities.  I submit to governmental authorities out of the love and worship to God.  Obeying God will lead to obedience in all aspects of life.  I am willing to give 100% to God.

Devo Luke 19:45-48

45Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling.
46”It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you
have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” 47Every day he was teaching at the temple. But
the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were
trying to kill him. 48Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people
hung on his words.

Meditation:
1. Our churches are centers for many good things, but is prayer an overriding
concern or simply a nice extra? Is it the heart and soul of the body of believers
who meet here? It is the people who are the temple of God in the New
Testament; it is us who are the house of prayer. But how much of a house
of prayer are we? Are we full of buying and selling? Are we a place where
spiritual greed, theft, and religious sleight of hand are firmly lodged? Jesus
thought it very important. Perhaps he felt without that communion with
God the Father nothing else would ever make any difference, the lost would
never be found, those enslaved would never be freed.
2. Do I share that same passion for prayer in my body, the temple of God? Do
I believe it is so critical, so essential that everything else is at risk without it?
3. Do I pray faithfully according to the PGC prayer calendar? If not, then
starting from this week, always remember to bring the Sunday Worship
Bulletin home. Use the Weekly Prayer Guide to pray for our church, the
different ministries, people’s needs, missionaries, and other matters. May I
become a true “house of prayer”.

Personal Note:
There are many things that happens at Crossroad.  I would like prayer to be the center in Praise Leading, Small Group, Discipleship groups, Worship Service.  I would like to have prayer meetings in the morning to dedicate our work to God.  I belong to God and my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Is my heart and soul centered on prayer or on the worldly and destructive things of this world.

I have to confess that when I read this passage years ago, I condemned the people who were buying and selling and making God's house like a market place.  In today's churches, I would condemn those who come to church for the purpose of finding potential clients for their business.  In fact, there is an item in the church bulletin that address this issue.  Looking at this passage now, I realize that my heart is far from being the house of prayer.  My heart is full of worrying about buying/selling and the needs of this world.  Instead of being preoccupied with burdens and worries, I am to seek first God's kingdom and righteousness.  Practically, I am to lift all worries and burdens to God in prayer.

I thank God for revealing the true condition of my heart through prayer.  After praying, I got a better perspective of what really matters.  Praying is the most important thing I am to engage in.

I am going to discipline myself in praying faithfully according to the PGC prayer calendar starting this week.

Devo Luke 18

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on
everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10”Two men went up to the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed
about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers,
adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth
of all I get.’ 13”But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look
up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14”I
tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will
be exalted.”

Meditation:
1. This Pharisee went to the temple not to pray to God but to show off his own
good conduct. On the other hand, the tax collector went to confess and to ask
for mercy. Which person’s prayer is more like my prayer?
2. Repentance does not happen on our own. It is a gift from God and He
delights to give to all who ask. We pray this sinner’s prayer constantly to
ask for the grace of repentance. This is the prayer of tears. It will lead us to
receive God’s gift of forgiveness, cleansing and healing.
3. The sinner’s prayer “Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This is the
second short prayer of the five that we’ve been practicing (p2). In my regular
practicing of this prayer, what have I experienced?
4. To conclude the QT today, pray this short prayer repeatedly. Practice to pray
this prayer often for a spirit of repentance in my heart.

Personal Note:
It is the person who acknowledge his or her sinfulness that there is salvation.  There is nothing I can do to earn forgiveness from God.  Have mercy on me God, a sinner.  It's not like I have know Christ for years that I do not need this.  This prayer of repentance is necessary for everyone including young and old Christians.  As I grow in my relationship with God, it is true that I become more Christ like (this should happen to all Christians).  The irony is that the more I learn and grow in my relationship with God, the more holy I find God to be and I realize more and more the sinfulness of my own nature.  Thus, the prayer of repentance is necessary.

Devo Luke 17

Chapter 17
1 Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to
come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them
to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause
one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or
sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if
they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying
‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our
faith!” 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to
this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
7”Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he
say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down
to eat’? 8Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait
on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9Would he thank
the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10So you also, when you have
done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we
have only done our duty.’ “

Meditation:
1. Here Jesus shows us how we can help each other accept and live by values
the Pharisees had rejected. We are to rebuke one another when one of us
sins, but be quick to forgive when he or she repents. Each of us is to accept
responsibility to care about one another’s walk with God. In the community
of faith each is to find forgiveness and support to live a godly life.
2. Jesus commanded his disciples to confront, to accept “I repent”, and to forgive.
Responding to a command isn’t a matter of faith, it is a matter of obedience.
3. How many times have I held back, wishing I had more faith so I could do
something I knew God wanted me to do? How many times have I pleaded
for more faith in my inadequacy? And how many times has the longing for
more faith simply masked the fact that I have been unwilling to obey?
4. Allow the questions to speak to my heart. Continue this quiet time with
God. If the Holy Spirit is rebuking me right now, confess it and ask for God’s
forgiveness. Pray for mercy to obey God willingly.

Personal Note:
I am called to rebuke one another when one of us sins, but I am to the one who sinned when they repent.  It takes love to rebuke the one who sins, as it is so much easier to just ignore the person.  I may feel small, inadequate, lowly, powerless...  God is asking me to obey as he can do things through people who are willing to obey.

No matter who we are, whether you are high 90's students or struggling academically, whether you come from an affluent family or your family is struggling economically, whether you have lots of friends or you are a loner, whether you are socially accepted or not...   We are all servants for our great God.  When we have done our job, God's name is glorified.  Let's love God and one another in humility.

Devo Luke 15

1Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 2But
the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners
and eats with them.” 3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4”Suppose one of you
has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in
the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds
it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends
and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I
tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner
who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Meditation:
1. Jesus portrayed a picture of God who is like the shepherd searching for his
lost sheep so God searches for His lost ones, “for the Son of Man came to
seek and to save what was lost”.
2. What is my picture of God? How do I view the “sinners” around me? Is
my attitude that of seeking the lost, the way Jesus did, or standing aloof and
casting a disparaging glance, the way the religious leaders did?
3. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the picture of you searching for the
lost sheep. Help me to relate your true picture to those I come in contact
with: your love, not indifference, your grace, not judgement, your kindness,
not criticism. I pray especially for ……………………. (someone who does
not know the Lord).

Personal Note:
God is the ultimate source of love who has the desire to seek after us.  I am reminded that Jesus had compassion on the lost and not to be judgmental like the religious leaders.  I need God's help in caring for people who needs to experience and know God's love.

Devo Luke 14

Chapter 14
7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he
told them this parable: 8”When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not
take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been
invited. 9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this
man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes,
he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored
in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11For everyone who exalts himself will
be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12Then Jesus said to
his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your
brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back
and so you will be repaid. 13But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the
crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed. Although they cannot
repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Meditation:
1. At a banquet, Jesus commented on the behaviour of the guests, who competed
with each other for “places of honour”. The scrambling for position Jesus
observed reflected the heart attitude of the Pharisee’s guests. As Jesus pointed
out, it was also foolish, as it exposed a person to the danger of embarrassment
if asked to go down lower. Jesus also had advice for His host. Don’t use the
dinners for social advantage, or to seek a favour. God’s kingdom is open to
everyone, especially those that can never return the favour. God will repay
us in eternity.
2. How do things like customs and status get in the way of my loving others in
family, church, workplace, or community?
3. What does it mean today for me to throw a party for “the poor, the crippled,
the lame, and the blind”? Who would I invite? What would it be like?
4. Talk with Jesus about this idea and share the insights with a few close friends.
Make plans to do it.

Personal Notes:
At my wedding luncheon, everyone at Crossroad was asked to sit at the back and save the good seats for the other guests.  It was a good gesture and witness for the other guests and they are all being praised for their humility.  Eventually, they are asked to move to better seats.

Loving those who are being despised and outcast is challenging.  If one wants to reach out to the lonely, he/she may be put in risk for being despised and being made fun of.  It is normal custom to hang out with our own friends.  By obeying God's Words, we are to love and care for the "poor, crippled, lame, and the blind"

What does this mean to throw a party for the "poor, crippled, lame, and the blind"?  Those who do not know Jesus Christ are blind, crippled, and poor spiritually.  There are people who suffer because they do not know how to interact with others socially.  Crossroad is a party that happens every Friday night.  We are to include and invite those who feel lonely to join and participate.  In your own gatherings, try to include someone who does not have many friends to join.

Let's discuss this during small group meetings.

Devo Luke 13

Chapter 13
10On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11and a woman
was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over
and could not straighten up at all. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her forward
and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13Then he put his
hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14Indignant
because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people,
“There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the
Sabbath.” 15The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on
the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?
16Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept
bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound
her?” 17When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were
delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Meditation:
1. The synagogue ruler was indignant because Jesus broke the rule of Sabbath.
Yet he could not see through the law and understand that it is out of
compassion that Jesus healed the woman. This shows how little understood
grace was and how little desired. The woman who experienced grace praised
God. But the synagogue ruler rebuked Jesus for helping her. Jesus pointed
out their hypocrisy that they would easily release an animal in order to care
for them, but wouldn’t rejoice for a person released from Satan’s bondage.
2. In their fervour to keep all of their rules and regulations, the Pharisees ended
up neglecting to love others. I can also take the rules literally in order to
rationalize my lack of concern for others (ie. insisting on tithing but refusing
to help the needy; insisting on attending worship on time but refusing to pick
up someone out of the way).
3. Do I make excuses for neglecting to do good? Pay close attention to God’s
whispering in my heart.

Personal Note:
Excuses I make for neglecting to do good can be lack of time, lack of money, lack of faith in God.  Also, the motivation of doing good is important.  Am I doing good so that I would look good in front of others?  Am I doing good so that I can earn favors?  My main reason for neglecting to do good rest in a lack of love for God.  A person who sincerely loves God will sincerely love others.

Devo Luke 12

Chapter 12
13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the
inheritance with me.” 14Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an
arbiter between you?” 15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard
against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions.” 16And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man
produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no
place to store my crops.’ 18”Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down
my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.
Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ‘ 20”But God said to him, ‘You fool! This
very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have
prepared for yourself?’ 21”This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things
for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Meditation:
1. The story of the rich farmer remains a pointed challenge to us. Why pile up
wealth here on earth? Why work to gather more than you will ever need?
However, this rich farmer rejected the word of God and based his life on the
pursuit of earthly treasure. Christ said, “You fool! ……Who will get what
you have prepared?”
2. We all make value decisions that shape our lives. Jesus asks us to remember
that those decisions shape our life here and in eternity.
3. What decisions am I facing? What value do I base my decisions on? Will
Jesus call me a fool? Or a good and faithful servant? How is God calling me
to treat my money and possessions differently?

Personal Note:
It is tragic to see many rich people I know work very hard to accumulate wealth and when they decided to stop and enjoy life, they passed away very suddenly (heart attack, cancer, etc)  Why pile up more than what we will ever need.  Instead of storing up more and more, why do we give away generously.

Devo Luke 11

39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of
the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You foolish
people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But now
as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for
you. 42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue
and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God.
You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. 43 “Woe
to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues
and respectful greetings in the marketplaces. 44 “Woe to you, because you are
like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.” 45 One of the
experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult
us also.” 46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you
load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not
lift one finger to help them. 47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the
prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you
approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their
tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and
apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50 Therefore
this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has
been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the
blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell
you, this generation will be held responsible for it all. 52 “Woe to you experts in
the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have
not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”


Meditation:
1. When eating at the home of a Pharisee, Jesus identified six common sins of
the “religious” of his day that kept them from seeing the light. The Pharisees
and experts in the law were furious and attacked Jesus. Reading these verses
should not cause us to criticize the Pharisee then. Rather, they should draw
us to examine ourselves.
2. With a humble heart, go through the following questions and ask: “God, do
I……?”
• Do I spend more time trying to look holy, or seeking to be holy? (vv39-
41)
• Do my priorities reflect God’s? (v42)
• Do I treasure the approval of others, or the approval of God? (vv43-44)
• Do I make living a Christian life harder for people by my expectations,
or do I encourage and help them? (v46)
• Do I resist God’s word brought by his ministers, or am I open and
teachable? (vv47-51)


Personal Note:
Being a pastor or spiritual leader can cause me to become a Pharisee (who attack Jesus and being a hypocrite).  It is very easy to stumble into this trap when I do not examine myself.


Seeking to be holy is reflected by the way I live, God's priority is for us to cultivate a deep relationship with Him and do the work of sharing the good news of His kingdom, I am to treasure the approval of God, I seek to encourage and help others to live a faithful Christian life, and I am open and teachable to my fellow brothers and sisters.

Devo Luke 10

Chapter 10
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked,
“what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26”What is written in the Law?” he
replied. “How do you read it?” 27He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your
mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28”You have answered correctly,”
Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29But he wanted to justify himself, so he
asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30In reply Jesus said: “A man was going
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They
stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A
priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he
passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw
him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where
the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and
bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own
donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two
silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when
I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36”Which of
these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of
robbers?” 37The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus
told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Meditation:
1. With who do I most identify with in this story? Why?
2. Who have been Good Samaritans in my life? What was the situation? How
did that person help me? What impact this has on me?
3. Listen to Jesus’ calling to me, “Go and do likewise.” To whom do I need to be
a Good Samaritan this week? Write down his/her name and needs. Pray for
this person. Plan a practical way to offer needed help. Decide on the date and
write down specific things I will do for him/her. Make plan to accomplish it.

Personal Note:
I can identify most with being the Samaritan, who has no social status or power, and yet had compassion and serve and love the man with action and his own resources.  I would like to behave like the Samaritan majority of the time.  Even though the priest and Levite had status, they had no compassion and their actions were inconsistent to their title.

The missionaries at TRMC have been Good Samaritans in my life.  The leaders in PGC have been Good Samaritans in my life.  During the time when I was in distress and confusion, they reassure me and guide me. This impact me to get back up on my feet so I can be healed.  I can lead others in love because of God's love which I experienced through their care.

God ask me to "Go and do likewise".  Today, I will visit Ernest as he would leave this country for a challenging assignment oversea.  I will go pray for him and his family.

Devo Luke 9

Chapter 9
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you
wherever you go.” 58Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59He said to another
man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim
the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let
me go back and say good-by to my family.” 62Jesus replied, “No one who puts his
hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Meditation:
Jesus is talking to three potential followers of him. He expects his followers to be
totally faithful without any conditions or restrictions. He wants them to accept
the cross as well as the crown, judgement as well as mercy. We need to calculate
the price and be willing to relinquish all that we consider our security to follow
Jesus. Focus on Jesus and we will not be distracted in living out a life of truth and
grace.
Jesus’ response to the first person is: ”Count your cost before following me.”
According to the Jewish customs, the second person probably meant that “I’ll
wait until my father dies before I come to follow you.” Jesus advised him to grasp
the opportunity to respond to the moving of the Holy Spirit at the time. The
third person probably wanted to settle his family affairs and if time allows, then
he’ll come to follow Jesus. The farmer has to look straight ahead in order to plow
straight furrows for planting seeds. Jesus says that if we want to become a member
of God’s kingdom, we need to focus our attention on God, and not allow the
world to distract our focus elsewhere.

If Jesus says to me, “Come and follow me, today!”, what excuses would I use to
delay Jesus’ calling? Does Jesus delight in my hesitation in following Him? What
are the things that are holding me back? Am I willing to allow Jesus to take away
these things from me?

Personal Note:
Jesus calls me and the rest of Crossroad to come and follow His ways.  The excuses I used was the fear of the unknowns and challenges demanded by God, afraid that it would not be comfortable and enjoyable.  Jesus Christ does not delight in any hesitation in following Him.  The things that are holding me back are lack of faith, worries about my worldly personal needs.  I am willing to focus ahead and not look back.  I trust that by focusing on Jesus Christ, he will make a way.

Devo Luke 8

Chapter 8
42 …… As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a
woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one
could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and
immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When
they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against
you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out
from me.” 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came
trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she
had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her,
“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Meditation:
1. Often we are taught that when we are in desperate need of something from
God – in a crisis caused by, cancer, bankruptcy, chronic depression, inescapable
grief, or loss of faith – we must come boldly and without fear into God’s
presence if we expect him to answer our prayer. Yet this woman came in fear
and trembling, having no idea what might happen, but thinking, “If I can just
touch the edge of his cloak, who knows?”
2. Sometimes all we can do is struggle toward God from behind and stretch
with what little we have left in us to touch the edge of him, hoping he will
not be angry with us or ignore us, hoping something will happen that we are
almost beyond believing can happen. We discover, to our astonishment, that
nothing more than this is required, and we live.
3. Have I ever been too frightened to come to God with a problem? Why?
How would this story help me as I face desperate situations?
4. Talk to God about the problem I am facing. Bring all my fear, uncertainty,
lack of faith, or eagerness, hope and thanksgiving to God. Talk to him and
wait for him to speak.

Personal Note:
As I get to know more people, I realize there are brokenness and suffering in every corner.  I see people in crisis caused by cancer, bankruptcy, chronic depression, inescapable grief, and loss of faith.  God call me and people in Crossroad to witness to the hurting world on how to come boldly to God without fear.

In my past, I lost direction in life and I was desperate.  My only hope was faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Currently, the problem I face is the emotional and spiritual maturity and courage to be a responsible husband and leader.  This goes the same for being a pastor in the church.  I am willing to bring all the fears, burden, uncertainty, lack of faith, hope, thanksgiving to God...

Devo Luke 5be

Chapter 5
1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people
crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw at the water’s
edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He got
into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a
little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4When
he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down
the nets for a catch.” 5Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and
haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6When
they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began
to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help
them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8When
Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I
am a sinful man!” 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of
fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s
partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch
men.” 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Meditation:
1. After a whole night’s labour, the fishermen didn’t want to try again, depression
and fatigue were written all over them. How similar this is to our own lives.
We have all experienced failure which often left us feeling guilty, shameful
and self-distrust. Then, we wanted to quit, withdraw and to be away from
people.
2. Jesus does not get us to do something entirely new but sends us back to
what we’ve been doing all along, but this time with Jesus. God wants to be
in command of our lives – our work lives, our family lives, our leisured lives.
Same boat. Same Commands. Same nets. But now Jesus is with us – and
that makes all the difference.
3. Is Jesus on my LIFE boat? Who’s in command of my journey? What am I
experiencing right now? Just be quiet before God and allow the Holy Spirit
speak to my heart. Respond and speak to God as you are so moved by the
Holy Spirit.

Personal Note:
Jesus was in Peter's boat.  Eventually, Peter stopped becoming a fisherman of fish and became a fisherman of man instead.  He was one of the twelve disciples who follow Jesus Christ.  Before I follow him, I have experienced his love and miracle in my life.

Before knowing Jesus, I felt hopeless on the direction in life.  With Christ in my heart, I can live with purpose and strength.  I have experience God's providence in my brief journey with Him.  I trust that in my journey of following after Him, he is faithful and will lead me in a life worthy of his love and calling.

Devo Luke 4

Chapter 4
16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day
he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17The
scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place
where it is written: 18”The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed
me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for
the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to
proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back
to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened
on him, 21and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your
hearing.” 22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that
came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

Meditation:
1. Jesus applied five Old Testament promises to his mission on earth. Which
of these five forms of rejection can be connected with the gospel in my life
today?
• Poverty (downtrodden, underprivileged): to receive hope and dignity
• Imprisonment (physically, psychologically or politically captive): to
receive freedom from bondage
• Blindness (physical disability often meaning spiritual darkness): to
receive new sight to recognize God’s perspective and new life
• Oppression (political and economic disadvantage): to receive release and
new freedom from forces holding you down
• Debt (every 50 years all debts were cancelled): to receive the Jubilee
Year’s release from debt of every sort.
2. Read the above list slowly. Immerse myself in the recollection of my situations
before and after receiving Christ. Meditate on Jesus’ salvation for me.
3. Give God thanks for all the things He’s done in me.

Personal Note: Scripture is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  He proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.  I can relate to blindness before I know Christ.  I was blind to spiritual darkness as I thought that apart from God, I can live a happy and wonderful life.  I was imprisoned by my own selfish desires and motives.  Christ released me so that I can freely love and bless people around me.  I can do all things because God loves me and empowers me.  Thank you Jesus Christ for the work you have done in me.

Devo Luke 3

Chapter 3
7John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping
with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as
our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for
Abraham. 9The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not
produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10”What should
we do then?” the crowd asked. 11John answered, “The man with two tunics should
share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”
12Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we
do?” 13”Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14Then
some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort
money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” 15The people
were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might
possibly be the Messiah.

Meditation:
1. John was not a smooth, comfortable preacher. He was blunt and
confrontational. He preached the message of coming wrath of God and
“a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. This wasn’t an easy
message to take, but people kept coming to hear him and even wondering if
John might be the Christ (v15).
2. Perhaps when we hear messages such as John’s, our masks and pretenses are
stripped away, and we are forced not only to face our need – but are given
hope in God’s word. And only when we face guilt do we seek forgiveness, and
find the new life in our Saviour Jesus.
3. Am I in the habit of “direction change” (repentance) in my daily life? What
has the Holy Spirit been speaking to me lately on certain wrong “directions”?
4. Take a moment to think about it. Then pray for God’s forgiveness. Pray also
for the Holy Spirit to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the
evil one.”(Matt 6:13)

Personal Note:
Whoever does not bear fruit will be put into the fire.  Th main theme of this devotion is repentance.  The practical ways of repentance is to share our belongings to others, not to cheat other people, and be content with what we have.  Repentance is shown by how we live our lives.

I feel that even though God has provided pretty much our needs, I feel that I do not trust God enough and still worry at the same time.  I am convicted that I can only produce fruits through God's power.