28 Feb 13: Jesus Condemns the Religious Leaders / Foolishness in God's Sights

Read Matthew 23:1-12 and 1 Corinthians 3:18-23

I Jesus Condemns the Religious Leaders
- Matthew 23:1-12- Here, Jesus exposed the religious leaders for not doing what they preach.  They practice the "do what I say, not what I do" phrase.  He called them hypocrites who preach to the people one thing just to look good and holy in front of them but do another when no one is looking.  They do this to receive the people's admiration and praise when all these should have gone to God.  Additionally, Jesus commanded us not to call religious leaders as Rabbi (teacher) or Father for these are reserved for Jesus and God.  This is clearly written in the Bible so why do other religious leaders still prefer to be called "father".  Are they implicating that they are the same as the Father in heaven.  Remember, that only God is our father and He is the only one who can forgive our sins, not any human being.  Mark 2:7 reads, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  We need to discern modern day false prophets who teach of things that are not of God.  They feed their listeners with man-made laws which causes them to commit sin and be separated from God.  They say they follow Jesus and love God but they do not obey His commandments.  Do you love God? Do you obey His commandments?  Do you follow His ways? We must make sure that our actions match our beliefs because if they do not, we are also hypocrites just like the pharisees in those times.

II. Foolishness in God's Sights
1 Corinthians 3:18-23, Paul, in this passage, did not tell the church to not seek knowledge.  He just recommended seeking for God's wisdom rather than worldly knowledge.  He suggested that we become "fools" to make it easier for us to receive and understand the message.  We need to open our ears so we can listen and receive God's word.  Let us abandon pride and accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Let us value the content of the message rather than the presentation of the preacher.  Let us be humble and accept that we are only human and without God, we are nothing.

III. Proverbs for Today / 10:19
When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

IV. Old Testament Reading
Leviticus 22:17-33, Leviticus 23 and Psalms 44:1-8

27 Feb 13: Jesus Answers the Pharisees and Sadducee / Building on the Right Foundation

Read Matthew 22:15-46 and 1 Corinthians 3:10-17

I. Jesus Answers the Pharisees and Sadducee
- Matthew 22:15-46, Jesus reminded us that we have dual citizenship here on earth.  First, we are citizens of this earth.  What is of this earth, we should give to the authorities.  If our government asks for taxes, let us freely give it to them to pay for the services that they have provided us.  All our money and possessions have no value in the eyes of God.  At the same time, we are also citizens of the Kingdom of heaven.  God requires our full commitment and obedience to Him.  As His children, we have to show Him that we love Him and the only way we can show this is living the life that He wants us and 100% obedience.  This is not a part-time or a weekend job where we look righteous while at church.  This is a full turnaround and devotion to Him.  Once we are baptized in the Spirit, we are to reject all temptations and sinning.  Jesus also reminded us that God is the God of the living and not of the dead.  When we are accepted in His Kingdom, we are promised salvation and eternal life and what He had planned for us in heaven does not compare to anything that we have experienced here on earth.  Finally, Jesus shared with us the new covenant.  He gave us two commandments that covers all of the 10 that God gave to Moses.  First, the greatest commandment:  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  If we love God; we would only have one God, we would not create and worship idols, dead people, saints, Mary, Buddha, animals, or other earthy things; and we will keep Holy whatever God determines as Holy.  The next commandment, "Love our neighbors as ourselves" will  cover honoring our parents, not murdering, committing adultery, steal, giving false testimonies, and coveting our neighbors possessions.     

II. Building on the Right Foundation
- 1 Corinthians 3:10-17, if we were to build our house, would we build it on sand or should we find a solid foundation such as a rock.  Remember, a building is only as solid as its foundation.  Even if the exterior of our houses look great, it will not stand when it faces an earthquake.  This goes the same way for our lives.  We need to have God as our center and with Him, we can accomplish anything.  Let us not build our foundation on wealth, successes  and fame for all these will vanish in a blink of an eye.  We need to focus on things that are eternal and not on materials that turn back to ashes.  We need to build our lives according to God's will and plans so we can receive His grace and salvation.

III. Proverbs for Today / 10:18
He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

IV. Old Testament Reading
Leviticus 20:22-27, Leviticus 21, Leviticus 22:1-16, and Psalms 43:1-5

26 Feb 13: The Parable of the Wedding Banquet / Paul Rebukes Divisive Church Members

Read Matthew 22:1-14 and 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

I. The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
- Matthew 22:1-14, In this parable Jesus used a wedding banquet where the King invited guests three times and was rejected.  They even treated his servants badly and killed them.  After hearing about this, the King sent his armies to destroy their cities and kill them.  He then opened the invitation to anyone on the highway.  God had been knocking on our doors with his invitation to be part of His family.  He had sent us messengers to share the gospel and plant a seed in our hearts.  We need to accept this seed, feed it with fertilizer and water it so our faith will grow.  We need to soften our hearts and let the Spirit work in us so we may be changed within.  It is only a matter time till the day of judgment comes and whoever rejected His message and His Son will be thrown to the fiery hell.  God wants us to join Him at his banquet.  Because He loves us so much, He will continue to send those invitations again and again hoping that one day, you will read them and attend the wedding.  Have you accepted His invitation?  If no, what are you waiting for?

II. Paul Rebukes Divisive Church Members
- 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, God had called every believer to help in His mission of spreading His Word.  We are all blessed with our own gifts and abilities that we can use to fulfill this.  Paul reminded us that each and everyone of us are important and we should not look at how we, as individuals, are doing God's plans but how each and everyone contributes to the success of the mission.  We should not ask for a reward or glorify ourselves for it is only God that deserves glory.  Everything that we have is from God and all we are doing is sharing these blessing to others so we can be a witness and testimony of His love.

IV. Old Testament Readings
Leviticus 19, Leviticus 20:1-21, Psalms 42:1-11

25 Feb 13: The Parable of the Disloyal Tenants / The Spirit Gives Wisdom

Read Matthew 21:23-46 and 1 Corinthians 2:11-16

I. The Parable of the Disloyal Tenants
- Matthew 21:23-46, In this story, Jesus used parables to answer the pharisees' inquiry of who gave Jesus authority to preach.  The first parable was about two sons who answered and acted differently when asked by their father to work in the vineyard.  Jesus compared the Pharisees to a son who told his father that he'll do work but did not.  Jesus then told them that tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the Kingdom before them because they were unrighteous first but when they heard the calling of the savior, they listened, believed, accepted the savior, repented, and followed His ways.  In the second parable, Jesus used different characters: 1) the landowner (God), 2) the vineyard (Israel), 3) the farmer (pharisees and other religious leaders, 4) the landowner's men (prophets), 5) the son (Jesus), 6) other vinedressers (Gentiles).  God had blessed the religious leaders and were given the land (wisdom and authority) but they did not use them in the way that God wanted them.  When God sent his prophets to them, the religious leaders did not believe and persecuted them.  When God sent his only begotten son, they also rejected Him and crucified him. Because of this, God gave these blessings to the Gentiles for they have accepted His message, His son, and His gift of salvation.  

-  We are like the religious leaders.  God had provided us with commandments and a guide to live our lives but instead of following Him, we followed other people.  He had showered us with numerous blessings but instead of glorifying Him, we glorified ourselves.  He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins and instead of accepting Him, we rejected and crucified Him.  Let us not wait for God to go back to the vineyard and take away His land from us.  Now is the time to accept our free gift of salvation, abandon our old ways, follow Jesus and take up our cross.  Let us examine our hearts and ask for forgiveness from God.  God is a just and loving God and He will openly take us back to His family.  

II. The Spirit Gives Wisdom
1 Corinthians 2:11-16, We, as humans, do not have the capacity to understand God, His promises, and His plans.  But through the Holy Spirit, all of these are revealed to us.  We need to ask God to send us the Spirit so it can open our eyes, ears, and hearts.  We all need the Spirit to guide us, lead us, and give us the discernment so we can understand God's Word and plans for all of us.  We need to rely on God for Wisdom and He will guide us to eternal life.  He will shower us with blessings and His unconditional love and offer us the free gift of salvation.  All we have to do is open our arms and let Him in our lives.  What is impossible for men, it is possible with God.  Nothing is impossible with God and we need to trust in Him with all our heart, follow Him, worship Him, give Him glory and praise, and He will lead us to the right path to His Kingdom.

III. Proverbs for Today / 10:15-16

¹⁵ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city;The destruction of the poor is their poverty.¹⁶ The labor of the righteous leads to life,The wages of the wicked to sin.

IV. Old Testament Reading
Leviticus 16:29-34, Leviticus 17-18, and Psalms 41:1-13

24 Feb 13: The Cursing of the Fig Tree / Preaching Christ Crucified

Read Matthew 21:18-22 and 1 Corinthians 2:1-10

I. The Cursing of the Fig Tree
- Matthew 21:18-22, The Fig tree was a symbol for a religion without a substance. The Fig tree from far away looked great but when Jesus got closer, He only found leaves and no fruits on it.  Just like a religion with a nice temple that is so impressive that people are drawn to go there but once you go inside, their messages and activities are meaningless to the eyes of God.  They show that they worship and glorify God, but what their teaching is against what God wants.  Their faith is not sincere and they start preaching about prosperity, idolatry, and earthly laws.  These "churches" are worried about their popularity and their attendance that they start focusing their message on what people want to hear instead of what God wants to say.  Our messages should be God-centered and it is not how God fits in our lives but how everyone and everything fits in God's plans.   This fig tree can also symbolize us (people) who are so-called "religious" in front of many but deep inside, we are controlled by this world.  We go to church every Sunday, we have a Bible in our homes, we shout praises and worships at church but after that, we go back to our old selves and start living the way of the world.  Right after stepping out of church, we change our clothes and start cursing, lying, drinking, worshiping idols, praying to dead people, committing adultery, and many more.  Being a Christian is a lifetime commitment to God.  It is not a once or twice a week occupation but is is a life long career.  Once we give our lives to God, we chose to abandon all the unrighteous acts and start a life of following the way of the Lord.  Being a Christian is hard.  We are always persecuted, ridiculed, and mocked.  Others always attack our faith and our way of life.  The main reason is that they are not happy that we are finally saved because they want us to be miserable, weak, and unhappy just like them.  When we accepted Christ as our savior, the enemy is angered and he uses others to discourage our relationship with God by mocking our new lives.  They taunt us, calling us names (holy man or Bible boy) but don't fear because God is with us.  Romans 8:31 states that "If we are for God then who can be against us".  Once we are adopted into His family, the enemy cannot touch us for God is on our side protecting us.

Deuteronomy 31:6,
^"6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

II.  Preaching Christ Crucified
-1 Corinthians 2:1-10, Jesus gave us a Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.  We accomplish this by sharing the Gospel and showing unconditional love to our neighbors.  In this message, Paul shared that he was not the best speaker and he was not a scholar of the scriptures but with the power of God, he was given the wisdom to preach God's message.  We tend to rely on academic evaluation of the scriptures instead of divine guidance.  We look into our diplomas, certificates, or education but we are reminded that all these are just knowledge and what matters most is the Wisdom that God gives us.  Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths".  Our knowledge will not help us discern God's message but it is through the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we are able to understand them.  Let us not fear this task but accept our calling to be the light of the world.  Let us share God's plans and promises and invite our loved ones to join our walk of faith.  God has a great place for us and in verse 9, it is written that "we have not seen, heard, or known of the things that God has prepared for us".   All we have to do is accept this gift.  We can do this by repenting from our sins, accepting the Lord as our savior, and continuously following His ways.  The gates to God's Kingdom is open and He is inviting us to take that next step so we can receive His grace, salvation, and eternal life.

III. Proverbs for Today / 10:13-14
¹³ Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.¹⁴ Wise people store up knowledge,But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading
Leviticus 15, Leviticus 16:1-28, and Psalms 40:11-17

23 Feb 13: Jesus Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem and/ The Foolish Will Shame the Wise

Prayer: Father we thank you once again for this opportunity to study your Word. Bless this day and use us to be spread your gospel for 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" In Jesus' Name. Amen

**Read Matthew 21:1-17 and 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

I. Jesus Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem

- Matthew 21:1-17, After doing His ministry and many miracles of healing and casting out demons, the people of Jerusalem had recognized Jesus as the messiah, the "son of David" whom God had sent to establish His kingdom. The scene here is what people celebrate as Palm Sunday. It is a celebration of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem to fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. Many lined up the streets, trying to get a glimpse of Jesus Christ while waving the palm trees. They were praising Him because they thought that He would be building a Kingdom on earth, a political kingdom that will finally end the Roman rule and restore Israel.  They did not understand God's plan for them.  We'll learn later that these same people will be disappointed and will be the ones that will condemn Jesus Christ and ask for His crucifixion.

- We, Christians, trust in the Lord as our savior. We praise and Worship our God for all the blessings that he had showered us. But sometimes, when we pray to Him and we did not get what we ask for, we easily change our attitudes and turn our backs to Him just like the people of Jerusalem. We waive our Palm trees for God then later on, when we are struggling and are experiencing hardships (whether financially, spiritually, mentally, or physically), we start condemning Him and even ask for His crucifixion.  God has a plan for all of us.  It is written in Jeremiah 29:11, "¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  We need to trust in Him and His promises and if it is His will, God will make it happen.  

II. The Foolish Will Shame the Wise

- 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Paul explained that the way of salvation is so simple that any man who believes and trust in the Lord can attain it. God chose the weak and the despised so no one could boast of all the good deeds that he had done to receive eternal life. Achievements, money, fame, and works can not get us into God's Kingdom.  It is our faith, repentance, and most importantly through His grace that we are saved. We need to acknowledge what Jesus Christ has done in the cross formus because if we continue to think that our good deeds would get us to heaven, then Jesus Christ died in vain. He already has done the work when He said "It is finished" (John 19:30).  His blood has cleansed us and His crucifixion and death has taken all our sins away.  His resurrection gave us a new life and provided us a way for salvation and a relationship with our Father.

III. Proverbs for Today/10:11-12

11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Leviticus 14 and Psalms 40:1-10

22 Feb 13: Jesus Heals Two Blind Men and/ The Power of God

Prayer: Father, touch our hearts and fill us with the Holy Spirit as we go into your Word.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

**Read Matthew 20:29-34 and 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

I. Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
- In Matthew 20:29-34; two blind men asked the "Son of David" to have mercy on them and heal them so they may see again.  Because of His compassion, Jesus touched their eyes and healed them instantly.  This was another miracle that Jesus did in front of many.  The blind men, even though they did not have the sight to see Jesus' ministry and miracles, trusted in the Lord and His power.  They were physically blind but their eyes were opened spiritually and discerned that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah.  The Pharisees, Scribes, and other doubters, on the other hand, personally have seen Jesus perform numerous miracles, numerous healings and demon-casting, but have refused to open their eyes and see the light and the truth about Jesus Christ as our savior.  Are you still one of those "blind men" who refuse to open your eyes even after seeing His love and identity through His word and through others who believed in Him?  Are you still one of those who has been rejecting His call to follow Him?  2 Corinthians 6:2 states that "Today is the day of salvation". We need to start opening our eyes and see with our hearts that God sent Jesus Christ to be the only way, the only mediator that will lead us to salvation and eternal life.  Take that next step and ask for forgiveness, accept Jesus as your savior, and build a relationship with God.  

II. The Power of God
- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; The cornerstone of the Christian faith is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is the hope that God has promised and the future that awaits us after our life here on earth.  Others might think that our belief of this death and resurrection is foolishness but this foolishness of trusting the Lord will be our key to our salvation and eternal life.  The Scribes, who were supposed to be the scholars of the scriptures did not believe in Jesus.  Their "wisdom" failed them to recognize the messiah but those weak and foolish believed in the gospel and will inherit the Kingdom of God.  God's grace is available for everyone.  This is a free gift from God that we do not deserve but because He loves us and He cares for us, He had given us a choice to accept this.  It does not depend on any of our good works here on earth.  It is just through our faith in Him that we will adopted into His family.

III. Proverbs for Today/ 10:11-10
He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:

Leviticus 13 and Psalms 39:1-13

Prayer: Father, we pray that you open our eyes, heal our blindness so we may see your love and your power as the God of the Universe.  Father, we have faith in you, we trust you, and we give you our lives. Show us the way to your kingdom.  We pray for good health, we pray for our families.  Keep protecting all of us and provide for us.  Bless us and forgive our trespasses.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

21 Feb 13: The True Leader is the Servant and/ Divisions within the Corinthian Church

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you bless this study and each and everyone of the readers.  Send your Holy Spirit so we may understand your message.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

**Read Matthew 20:20-28 and 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

I. The True Leader is the Servant
- Matthew 20:20-28;  We are reminded that greatness is accomplished by serving.  Just like the saying, "a great leader is a great follower", we have the commission to spread the gospel and serve our neighbors.  Jesus came in this world as the lamb of God, who was sacrificed for our sins so we may have a chance for salvation and eternity.  God gave Jesus a purpose, to serve others and die in the cross.  We need to be like Jesus and have a servant's heart.  Instead of thinking of ourselves, let's start to look at others who might need our help.  Instead of collecting riches, let us share our blessings to the poor.  Instead of gaining more knowledge, let us share the Word of God.  We all have a purpose in this world and we are all given a mission, the Great Commission, to teach others of God's promises and plans for all of us.  Let God use us, with the help of the Holy Spirit, as farmers who will plant a seed in our brother/sister's heart with a hope that someday his/her soil (heart) will soften and accept the living water (the Word) that will help that seed grow into a big tree.  And this big tree will bear good fruit that will be used to show God's unconditional love for us.  Let us all be servants to our  Father and glorify His name for He is an awesome God, the Alpha, the Omega, the creator of heavens and earth.

II. Divisions within the Corinthian Church
- 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 is a message of unity among believers.  This is a huge church and some had followed Paul, Peter, or Apollos.  They had different styles of teaching but are united in their message.  Paul urged everyone to not look at the preacher but instead look at Jesus Christ.  He emphasized that the message is more important than the messenger.  What we need to look for are false teachings that focus on prosperity and greatness of men.  All teachings should be Christ-centered, derived from the Bible, that teaches God's sovereignity and greatness.  Sometimes we get discouraged after learning that our pastors, teachers, and brothers and sisters in faith have done something Wrong.  We are reminded not to look at these people for they are just human beings and are not perfect. We should not be disappointed for people are unrighteous and have a sinful nature.  Instead, let's focus on God and His love and mercy on us and let us see His word as it gives us the truth and the way for our salvation.  We need to trust in Jesus Christ and repent our sins so through the grace of God, we can have eternal life and inherit the Kingdom of God.

III. Proverbs for Today/10:8-9
⁸ The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
9 He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Leviticus 11-12 and Psalms 38:1-22

20 Feb 13: The Parable of the Vineyard Workers and/ God's Gifts to the Corinthian Church

Prayer: Father we thank you for your Word.  We thank you for the opportunity to study it to know you.  Fill us with your spirit as we learn the good news.  Use each and everyone of us to share the gospel.  We thank you for this great day and may you bless us to bear good fruit. In Jesus' name.  Amen

**Read Matthew 20:1-19 and 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

I. The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
- In Matthew 20:1-19, Jesus described the Kingdom of Heaven as landowners who hire laborers all day.  The landowner had agreed with laborers in different hours to work in his vineyard for a denarius a day.  After a hard day's work, it was time to pay them and they started with the last one hired.  They were given a denarius so when the ones that started first saw this, they thought that they would get more but they only received a denarius also.  They were furious for they worked all day and the other only worked for an hour but they all still got paid the same.  So they went to the landowner and argued about their wages.  The landowner told them that they agreed for a denarius a day and that's what he is paying them.

- In our Christian life, God is the landowner and the laborers are His believers.   Sometimes there are Christians who feel like they deserve more than others because they have been saved the longest.  Some think that they should get more because of their heritage and "hard work" or more good deeds.  They think that they would get rewarded more because they did more but Jesus reminded us that we are all working for one thing which is our salvation.  This salvation is not based on how long we were Christians or how many good things we have done but by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ and our repentance of our sins.  We should not be jealous of what God has blessed others but instead thank Him and glorify Him for everything that He has given us.  Don't be jealous because God has accepted murderers, outcasts, and sinners the same way He did for you even though you have been a law-abiding, true follower for decades.  God will take back anybody when they ask for forgiveness and instead of feeling envious, we should rejoice that another soul had been saved.

II.  God's Gifts to the Corinthian Church
- In Corinthians 1:1-9, Paul wrote this epistle for the leaders and followers of Christ in the Corinthian Church.  Paul reminded them that God has blessed them with spiritual gifts but instead of using them to worship and glorify God, they have wasted their time arguing to each other which gifts were more important.   We are also reminded that God has given us these same gifts and we should not use them to get fame or money but to serve the Lord and our fellow believers.

III. Proverbs for Today/10:6-7
⁶ Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading 
Leviticus 9:7-24, Leviticus 10, and Psalms 37:30-40

19 Feb 13:Jesus and the Rich Man and/ Avoid Divisive People

Prayer: Father, I pray that you bless this study and make it a blessing for the readers. Bless them, Lord, and send them the Holy Spirit that will help them understand Today's message. In Jesus' name. Amen.

**Read Matthew 19:16-30 and Romans 16:17-27

I. Jesus and the Rich Man
- In  Matthew 19:16-30 , a young rich man approached Jesus asking Him how to receive eternal life. Jesus told him to obey the commandments of God and if he wants to be perfect, to sell all his belongings and follow Him.

- The rich man was a good man.  He obeyed God's commandments, helped his fellowmen, and also had the desire for salvation.  When he asked Jesus what else he needed to do, Jesus told him to give up everything and follow Him.  Because he had so many earthly possessions, he could not bear the fact of giving all those away.  In truth, he was blinded by all his riches. He could not imagine losing all his money and luxuries in life. He was too attached to all these material things that chose them over God.  Following Christ is a lifelong commitment   We can not just give a part of our life.  We need to devote our entire life of living a Christian life and following His ways.  We tend to endure suffering in order to collect riches here on earth.  These things have no value in heaven and it is only through our repentance of our sins, our acceptance of our savior, and the grace of God that will give us eternal life.

- In verses 23-28, Jesus told His disciples that it is "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God".  They might be good, have different charities, help other people, but all these does not give you a free ticket to heaven. They love their money and their riches so much that they start to worship them.  Money is not evil. It is the love of money that gets us in trouble with God. Sometimes, when God had blessed us with everything we need, we still asked for more. We tend to focus on our riches and our fame so we can build our names here on earth that we forget that what really matters is the riches that we build in heaven. When we love money so much, we forget to thank God, praise Him, and worship Him, and we start to glorify ourselves and the "great things" that we did to get where we are at. We forget to glorify God and share the blessings that He had showered upon us. Money and earthly possessions are not everything. Some people always ask God why they did not bless them like the rich people. We, sometimes, feel jealous of how prosperous they are.  What we do not know is the same people, even though they have everything that they want, are the ones who are depressed, suffer from anxiety, have family problems, and are not liked and loved by the people around them. People go to them because they have the money and not because they really want to associate with them. I'll rather be loved by my family, friends, neighbors, and by God than be super rich and be lonely. I'll rather have eternal life through our savior Jesus Christ and the grace of God than to have eternal cash that we can't take with us in His Kingdom.  Remember in Matthew 6:24,

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

II. Avoid Divisive People
- In Romans 16:17-27, Paul warned us to be vigilant and look for those who cause division. Watch out for those spreading false teachings that are not in the Bible. The Bible is God's Word and we must follow what is written by the apostles who were inspired by God. A common tactic of the enemy is to deceive people by adding to the scriptures. They talk of new laws, new promises, new prophets, and new messages.

Deuteronomy 4:2 says " You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you".

"Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it." - Deuteronomy 12:32

" Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar." - Proverbs 30:5-6

"For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the
holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." - Revelations 22:18-19

- We need to know the truth and to know this, we have to devote our time in studying the Word of God.  With the help of the Holy Spirit  we can discern false teachings and be closer to God. We can learn of God's promises and God's love. Let us not trust mere human beings but trust God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit that He will reveal to us the message, not according to man, but through His revelation. The message is very simple, we need to repent of our sins and trust the Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the only way, the only mediator, and the only "intercession" that we need to build a relationship with our Father.

"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus" - 1 Timothy 2:5

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

III Proverbs for Today/ 10:5
He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

Additional Old Testament Reading:
Leviticus 7:28-38, Leviticus 8, Leviticus 9:1-6, and Psalms 37:12-29

18 Feb 13: Jesus Blesses the Little Children and/ Paul Greets His Friends at Rome

**Read Matthew 19:13-15 and Romans 16:1-16

I. Jesus Blesses the Little Children
- In Matthew 19:13-15, children were trying to go to Jesus when His disciples tried to deny them. Jesus reminded the disciples that children are those who are going to the Kingdom of God. This does not mean that only children can enter but if you remember our study of Matthew 18:1-5, Jesus wanted us to be like children who are innocent and humble. We need to change our attitudes to those that are like children's who are willing to listen and learn. We need to get rid of the stubbornness and the hardness of our hearts because we think that we already know God's Word and plan. Sometimes we let our religious education and sophistication stand in the way of the simple faith needed to believe in our savior, Jesus Christ.

II. Paul Greets His Friends at Rome
- In Romans 16:1-16, Paul sent greeting to people he knows who are fellow workers for Christ. As we can see the names, Paul listed Romans, Greeks, Jews and Gentiles, men and women, prisoners and good citizens. This shows us that a follower of Christ can be anyone. Unlike popular belief, the Church is open to anyone and no priest or man can deny access to God's temple no matter how bad your past is. Everyone deserves to hear the Good News and everyone should have a chance to know God and have a relationship with him. If you are one of them, God does not care if you had committed murder, adultery, lies, idolatry, steal, or worshiped man and their statues. The Kingdom of God will be open when you return to the father. It is not too late to repent and trust in the Lord. Remember:

"16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

III. Proverbs for Today/10:3-4
3 The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Leviticus 6, Leviticus 7:1-27, and Psalms 31:1-11

17 Feb 13: Jesus Teaches about Divorce and/ The Collection for The Jerusalem Church

**Read Matthew 19:1-12 and Romans 15:23-33

I. Jesus Teaches about Divorce
-  Matthew 19:1-12  ; In verses 1-10, Jesus was again tested and confronted by the Pharisees regarding what is written in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 about divorce. The Pharisees asked Jesus if it was "lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?". Jesus replied by challenging them instead. Jesus told them that God's initial plan was to join a man and woman after marriage and never separate them. But because of our hard hearts and sinful nature, they had to allow to divorce as long as it is because of adultery. Jesus added that if you were divorced because of "other than unfaithfulness" reasons, if you remarry, it will still be considered adultery.

- We see, God had a great plan for marriage. He created Adam and Eve so they can live together forever. Nowadays, couples don't see marriage as anything special. Here in the US, people say that you are really not an American unless you are divorced at least once. And what is the main reason for divorces? It is because of "irreconcilable differences". It is the differences between spouses that are considered sufficiently severe to make married life together more or less impossible. Then why did you get married
in the first place? People don't care about marriage because of how easy it is to divorce. If you have "irreconcilable differences", then separate but with prayers and trusting God, you will be reconciled as long as you live the Lord's way. If you are a true Christian, there would be no reasons for a divorce because you will love your spouse and trust God to fix your marriage.

- In verses 11-12, Jesus teaches about celibacy. A few definitions to make it easier to understand. Celibacy is the abstinence from sexual relations or acts. Eunuch is a castrated man or someone who is deprived of external genitals. Jesus told us to live like Eunuchs until marriage. I know this is hard because of the culture and the peer pressure especially in schools as young as middle school or even elementary but as true believers of Christ, we have to not give in to the peer pressure and the "world" just for the sake of "fitting in".

II. The Collection for The Jerusalem Church
- In  Romans 15:23-33 , Paul is asking the Gentiles to continue sharing their material blessings, providing necessities to the Jerusalem Church who has been experiencing some hardships. The Jerusalem church has been the source of missionaries sharing the Good News of the Lord of salvation to the Gentiles. Additionally, he asked them to pray with him that his listeners would accept the gospel and accept God. We need to share our blessings with the church. We need to help our brothers and sisters in faith especially those who are hungry, naked, and sick. Let us show God's love to them through our compassion by taking care of those in need.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Leviticus 4-5 and Psalms 36:1-12

16 Feb 13: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant and/ Preach Where There is no Church

**Read Matthew 18:15-35 and Romans 15:14–24

I. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
- Matthew 18:15-35 is great reading about forgiving our brothers and sisters.  Jesus instructed us to let those who have sinned against us know what they have done so he may have the chance to ask for forgiveness and reconciliate with you.  If he does not want to hear it, Jesus told us to bring more people as witnesses until he sees his fault and ask for forgiveness.  Jesus commanded us to love one another and if someone does harm on us, we need to let them know and not hold grudges.  By doing this, we would not have that hardened heart that might lead to gossip or revenge which are all sin.  Show our compassion to our neighbors so they may see the love of God within us.

- In verses 21-35, Jesus shared the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.  The King is God who forgave us when we repented of our sins.  He is compassionate and just as is stated in 1 John 1:9 which read: "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  The servant represents us who sometimes are offended by a friend, family, a neighbor, a co-worker, or a stranger.  Maybe they had said something bad about us or have argued with us in the past, but they have tried to mend our relationship with them and have asked for forgiveness and compassion.  But because we have a hard heart, we did not forgive them and even condemned them.  We need to see that we, too, are not perfect and that we have committed sin against the people around us and God.  God has shown pity on us when we repented and we have to show the same compassion to our brothers and sisters when they ask us for forgiveness.   Let us forgive others as God has forgiven our sinful past.

II.  Preach Where There is no Church
- Romans 15:14–24, Paul shared his desire to go to other places to share the gospel of the Lord with the "unreached" and non-believers.  This is called the Great Commission which was written in Matthew 28:19-20,

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

We, ourselves, are called to the Great Commission.  We are given the responsibility to share the gospel to everyone especially the places where Jesus Christ is not known.  We have to share verses, lead bible studies, and teach everyone about God's Word and His promises so others can hear and possibly accept and be saved.

Prayer: Father, Let us be the light for the non-believers.  We pray that you use us to share your Word so that everyone would be saved and experience your love.  Guide us and provide us spiritual gifts that we can us in our little ministry.  Father, we pray for our souls and we ask for forgiveness of our sin.  We pray all these, in Jesus' name.  Amen.

III. Proverbs for Today/10:1-12 (Wise Sayings of Solomon)

10 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3 The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8 The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
9 He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.
10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Leviticus 1-3 and Psalms 35:17-28

15 Feb 13: Children and the Kingdom and/ Glorify God Together

**Read Matthew 18:1-14 and Romans 15:7-13

I. Children and the Kingdom
- In Matthew 18:1-14, We are told to be like a child.  Children are full of humility and innocence.  Unlike us, who have the appetite for glory and greatness.  We always try to be better than everybody so they can envy us.  We are boastful and proud of what we have.  A child, on the other hand, is humble and follows what his or her parents does.  As a child of God, we need to live in simplicity and follow the will of the Lord.  We need to praise Him and glorify His name.  We need not to be proud of ourselves but instead worship and honor the Father almighty.  We need to act like a child and follow the will of our Father.

-  In verses 10-14, Jesus used another parable to teach His disciples.  He illustrated that if a shepherd had 100 sheeps and of them goes astray, the shepherd  will leave the other 99 and look for that lost one.  At the same time, he would be happier once he finds this one than for the 99 who stayed.  This is the same for God.  He does not rejoice when one of our brothers or sisters goes astray.  God will still look for that one lost soul and invite them to come back to His home even though you have left Him and committed sin.  God's love is everlasting and He will always accept you no matter what you have done in the past.  Just accept his son, Jesus Christ as your personal savior and repent on your sin and God will forgive you and be happy to accept you in His family.

II. Glorify God Together
- Romans 15:7-13 teaches us to accept one another, no matter how sinful we are for Jesus, himself, accepted us when we were rebellious .  By doing this, we will be glorifying our Father and we will be sharing how God is loving and merciful.   As Christians, we need to act like Jesus.  He was sent to die for us when we are sinners at the time so we can be righteous once again.  We need to share the gospel and the message to our friends and families so we can help them find hope, the truth, and the way to salvation through the grace of God.  John 3:16 states that

"16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Whoever believes in Him should not perish.  These are strong words.  Whoever....It means that everyone has a chance for salvation.  We have to believe in Him and receive grace so we may not perish and live for eternity in heaven.

III. Proverbs for Today/9:11-18

11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

13 A foolish woman is clamorous;
She is simple, and knows nothing.
14 For she sits at the door of her house,
On a seat by the highest places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by,
Who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”;
And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of hell.[a]
Prayer:  Father, we thank you once again for this message.  A message of hope and a future for our humble hearts.  Lord, we thank you for your Word, the message that encourages us and teaches us the love that you have for us.  We pray that we would not be that one who goes astray but we need Lord, that even if we do go astray that you would be looking for us and you would accept us in your family.  Father, we repent for our sins and ask that you forgive us and give us a new life, a new beginning through our faith in Jesus Christ.  We pray that you touch our hearts and surrender ourselves to you.  We pray these, in Jesus' name.  Amen

Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 39-40 and Psalms 35:1-16

14 Feb 13: A Coin to Pay Taxes and/ Adopt the Attitude of Jesus

**Read Matthew 17:22-27 and Romans 15:1-6

I. A Coin to Pay Taxes
- Matthew 17:22-27; In verses 22-23, Jesus predicted his death and resurrection once again.  Because His disciples did not know His real mission on earth, they were saddened by this.  The were all in grief because they did not understand why Jesus kept talking about His death when old scriptures stated that He will establish His kingdom.  What they did not know is that Jesus was establishing a Kingdom but it is not political and not here on earth.  Jesus' Kingdom is not of this world and as Christians, we are only here on earth temporarily. The Father has set a place for us in heaven through our faith in Jesus Christ and the repentance of our sins.

- In verses 24-27, a tax collector asked Peter if Jesus will be paying his taxes, which Jesus said he would.  When they came to his house, Jesus explained how strangers usually pay the taxes for the Kings of this world.  Just like in heaven, as sons and daughters of our loving Father, we are free from taxes once we repent and our saved.  Instead of worrying for money and all other treasures in this world, we need to be focus on the treasures of heaven.  All this cash, gold, and other "earthly stuff" has no value in the eyes of God.  On the other hand, all those who have rejected God and His word, would have to pay their share of taxes.  It is simple, either we are for Him or against Him.  Those who are for Him will receive everlasting life. Those who are against Him will receive death.  So which side are you in?

II. Adopt the Attitude of Jesus
- In Romans 15:1-6, As followers of Christ, we need to live and act like Jesus.  Jesus came to us, not to live a great life but suffer and be a sacrifice for the sinners.  For us to live a life of the Lord, we need to start thinking of others and show our love and compassion to them.  We need to stop looking at how we can be the richest or how we can have the coolest and newest fad at that time.  We tend to boast of our new electronics, jewelries, clothing, cars, jobs and all we are doing is glorifying and worshiping ourselves.  We don't do this to share it with others but for them to actually be envious of our success.  As a Christian, we chose to leave the life of this world and live the life of the Lord.  If we truly accept to be "born-again", God changed us from within and His love will reflect in our words and actions.  Instead of boasting of our own successes, let us share these blessings to our brothers and sisters in faith and at the same time, glorify God.

III. Proverbs for Today/ 9:9-10

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.
10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:

Exodus 37-38 and Psalms 34:11-22

13 Feb 13: Jesus Heals an Epileptic Boy and/ Build Each Other Up

**Read Matthew 17:14-21 and Romans 14:17-23

I. Jesus Heals an Epileptic Boy
- Matthew 17:14-21; Jesus, prior to this, Jesus had gone to the mountaintop with Peter, James, and John and they left the other nine disciples to continue the ministry, teaching, and healing for the first time without Jesus by them.  The nine disciples did preach and heal but there is one boy who they could not heal.  When Jesus and the other three returned, a man approached Him, begging Him to heal his son which Jesus did.  After this, the nine disciples asked Jesus how come they could not heal him.  Jesus pointed out that they had little faith, smaller than a mustard seed.  Because they had been healing many, they became too confident in their own ability and started using their "own ability" instead of relying in God.  They were so convinced that they can heal anything or anyone that they treated it as if they had the powers to act alone.

- Sometimes, when we experience a difficulty in our lives, we reach out to God to help us.  After God answers our prayers, we tend to forget who helped us and start relying back on our own understanding.  It is also till we experience a new problem that we go back to Him.  We are reminded to keep our faith in God for God does wonders in our lives.  We should not rely on ourselves but rely on our faith in God as the first step of any of our problems.  Let us meditate and ask God for our help for he is a loving and faithful God and He will grant our hearts' desires, if its His will and in time, if we just ask.  With God on our side, nothing is impossible.

II. Build Each Other Up
- Romans 14:17-23 reminds us that we cannot attain the Kingdom of heaven just by "eating or drinking" what the elders or church leaders tell us.  We can not be accepted into heaven by following the laws and traditions of our ancestors.  It is only though righteousness, repentance, trust in Jesus Christ, and the grace of God that we may be blessed with salvation.  Let us seek to do everything out of love for God and leave our sinful past behind.  Let us live the life of the Lord and give up the lusts of the world.  Let us be holy, godly, and righteous, and help each other out during our walk in faith so we may be drawn closer to our father.

III. Proverbs for Today/ 9:7-8
⁷ “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,
And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.
8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 35:10-35, Exodus 36, and Psalms 34:1-10

12 Feb 13: The Transfiguration of Jesus/Be Sensitive to Others

Read Matthew 17:1-13 and Romans 14:10-16

I. The Transfiguration of Jesus
- Matthew 17:1-13; This story is once again a confirmation of who Jesus really was.  From yesterday's devotional, Jesus asked His disciples who He was to people and to them.  They gave Him answers ranging from John the Baptist, Elijah, then Peter said that He was the Son of God.  These were human responses given by the community and His own disciples.  With Jesus' transfiguration along with two of the greatest prophets, and God's assurance that Jesus is "His Son whom He loves", they were given a divine response.  Once and for all, they have received a confirmation that Jesus is the messiah that God had sent to save the world from our sins.

- In my opinion, most are still waiting for some kind of confirmation or sign that Jesus was the messiah. We have many believers and non-believers alike, who wants to receive a Divine Intervention that will tell them that Jesus is the Lord and God is a living God.  Faith is believing without seeing. We need to believe in the Word and God's promises.  He is real and once we devote our lives to Him and follow His ways, we will experience something that only God can provide us.  He is the only One who can give us eternal life.  Let's surrender our lives, have faith, believer, and build a relationship with our Father, who is the creator of heavens and earth.

II. Be Sensitive to Others
-  Romans 14:10-16; Paul wanted us to not judge our fellow brothers and sisters in faith.  Some might have a strong faith than others but we should not use this to look down on our fellow Christians that are weaker in faith.  Instead of judging them, let us use the discernment that God has blessed us with the help of the Holy Spirit to help them mature and be strong in faith.  Instead of bashing them, let's share the Word, give our testimonies, and share with them the blessings and grace that God has showered us.  They already have the seed planted in their heart so let us be the gardener and provide water and fertilizer so it would grow and bear good fruit for our Father.

III. Proverbs for Today/ 9:1-6
⁷ 

The Way of Wisdom

9 Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
² She has slaughtered her meat,
She has mixed her wine,
She has also furnished her table.
³ She has sent out her maidens,
She cries out from the highest places of the city,
⁴ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him,
⁵ “Come, eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
⁶ Forsake foolishness and live,
And go in the way of understanding.



IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 34, Exodus 35:1-9, and Proverbs 9:1-6

11 Feb 13: Jesus Predicts His Own Death and/ Jesus Lord of Both Dead and Living

**Read Matthew 16:13-28 and/ Romans 14:5-9

I.  Jesus Predicts His Own Death
- Matthew 16:13-28; In verses 13-20, Jesus asked the disciples who they think he was.  Some answers were that He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or other prophets but Simon confessed that He was the Son of the Living God.  Jesus replied by blessing him and telling him that he didn't learn this from all the rumors and his own understanding but it was a gift from God that this had been revealed to him.  After this, Jesus changed his name to Cephas (Aramaic) or Petros (Greek) which meant rock for he will be the rock where the church will be built.  Peter did start the early Christian church in Jerusalem and he also was the first to profess that Jesus was the messiah and the son of God in front of a crowd during Pentecost.

- There are many religions that consider Jesus as many things.  Some argue that he was only a prophet just like Elijah or Moses.  Others don't even consider Him as a religious figure.  After all the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled and all the signs and miracles He performed during His ministry, we are assured that He is the messiah that God promised His children to save us from our sins.  We need to profess our faith and accept Him as our personal savior and confess it to others that we may glorify His name and praise Him.

-  In verses 21-28, Jesus predicted His own death. He told His disciples that He will face rejection, suffer in the hands of the church authorities, be killed, and resurrect after three days.  When Peter heard Jesus say this, he told Him that this will never happen to the messiah.  Jesus then replied by calling Peter "Satan".  Peter just proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of the Living God and because of this, he could not accept that the messiah, the Lord of the Lords, and the savior of the problems of the Jews, would suffer and end up dead.  Peter thought that Jesus was to rule over the kingdom here on earth and beat all those empires that ruled ever Israel and its people.  That's why Jesus called him Satan because it is Satan's desire for Jesus to live as a man forever and not finish God's mission to die for everyone's sin.  Peter had his own perception of what the Son of God will be doing on earth and he tried to define the mission and purpose of Christ.  We also tend to have our own definition of who Christ is and what is His mission.  Before we confess that Jesus is the Christ or the messiah and the Son of the Living God, we need to look closely what God had stated about Jesus' purpose.  We cannot be blinded by our human desires and agendas that will lead us to mistaken conclusions.  We need to learn from Him by studying His word and by doing this, we can build a true and deeper relationship with Him.

II. Jesus Lord of Both Dead and Living
- Romans 14:5-9; In everything that we do, we need to remember to put God first and that we live to love and obey Him.  God needs to be the central focus of our lives.  All our wishes, desires, wants, and activities must have God in our minds.  No matter if we are alive or dead, we will still be God's children and He will shower us His blessings and His grace for he is a loving and faithful God.

III. Proverbs for Today/ 8:33-36

³³ Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 32-33 and Psalms 33:1-11

10 Feb 13: The Teaching of Pharisees and Sadducees and/ The Weak and the Strong

**Read Matthew 16:1-12 and Romans 14:1-4

I. The Teaching of Pharisees and Sadducees 

- Matthew 16:1-12; The Pharisees and Sadducees had already seen and heard Jesus do numerous miracles in the past but they still wanted more signs.  As we mentioned before, they were supposed to be the scholars of God's Word yet they could not discern the signs of the messiah.  We, sometimes, have doubts about God and we ask Him for signs of His existence.  When this happens, just look at our environment, the beauties of this world, and the life that we have.  These are all the signs that we need.  Jesus said in Luke 4:12 and Matthew 4:7, "not to put the Lord, your God to the test".   When we do, it shows that we have little faith in Him.  We need to trust Him in everything we do and He will take care of us and bless us.

- In verses 5-12, Jesus told His disciples to “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”  When the disciples heard this, they thought that Jesus was referring to the bread that they did not bring in the journey.  Jesus answered by reminding them of the two miracles that he just did, feeding 5000 and 4000 people with a few bread and fishes.  Jesus then explained that the leaven was the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  They are false teachings that focuses on the works and the religious customs and traditions rather than the relationship and loving God.  They are the dead ends that the blind guides try to lead us to.  There are numerous churches nowadays that does not preach the good news but instead poison our hearts and minds.  There are teachings that are not Bible-based and are definitely man-made.  We need to pray to God that He send us the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us to discern His Scriptures.  Let us read and study the bible ourselves so we can understand the truth and discern the false teachings.  If they are teachers of the Word of God, then they will follow the Holy Bible and nothing else.  Other teachings would be considered leaven such as the Pharisees' and the Sadducees'.

II. The Weak and the Strong

- In Romans 14:1-4, Paul is telling us Christians not to reject our brothers and sisters in faith, no matter how strong their faith is.  The church is open to everyone: to the murderers, adulterers, rapist, idolaters, thieves, and liers.  The Christian church is not an exclusive club only for the strong in faith.  Remember that Jesus "did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Mark 2:17).  We need to abstain judging our fellow Christians in matters that are non-essential.  This is a question that many of the non-believers ask, "If Christianity is the religion of the true God, how come they have different denominationals?".  The answer is that it does not matter what the denominational are because they only differ in the non-essentials in our faith such as baptism and communion.  What matters is that they are teaching the word of God, as what is written in the Bible, and that the corner stone of our faith is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which brings us hope that we will have eternal life.

III. Proverbs for Today/8:27-32

27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,
29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;[a]
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And my delight was with the sons of men.
32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading
Exodus 30:11-38, Exodus 31, and Psalms 32:1-11

9 Feb 13: Jesus Feeds the Four Thousands and/ Loving Others is Obedience to God

**Read Matthew 15:29-39 and Romans 13:8-14

I. Jesus Feeds the Four Thousands
- In Matthew 15:29-39, we read a story of Jesus healing the lame, the blind, the mute, the maimed, and many others.  The crowd was marveled and glorified God.  If you all remember in Matthew 12:22-30, Jesus healed the blind, mute, and demon-possessed man.  And after He did all these, Jewish Pharisees accused Him of being with Beelzebub.  We can see the difference in these stories.  After witnessing the miracles, we had Gentiles who believed that Jesus Christ was the son of God and glorified God; and we had Pharisees  who accused Him of being with the devil.  The Pharisees were supposed to be the experts of the scriptures.  They claimed that they were religious and instead of accepting Jesus as the messiah, they slandered Him.  Sometimes it is the so-called "religious" people who have hard hearts.  They are so stuck in their old ways, that they are blinded by their tradition.  Jesus, the messiah, was in front of them, doing numerous miracles of healing, but they still rejected Him.  Is this how we also act?  We have the Scriptures and testimonies about our living God, and even if His Word is right in front of us, we still ignore Him and continue to live our unrighteous lives.  How many more miracles does Jesus have to do for us to follow Him?  How many more lives does God have to change for us to believe?

- We continue the story with Jesus feeding 4000 followers.  He did this by blessing seven loaves and a fish and distributing these to all of them.  After everyone was satisfied, they still collected seven baskets full of fragments.  What we need to see here is how His disciples acted when faced with obstacles.  They knew that these people had been there for 3 days without any food.  And they were starting to worry because they didn't have enough food to share.  What they forgot is Jesus fed 5000 people just prior to this with just 5 loaves and bread and 2 fishes.  How easily did they throw their hands in despair when faced with tough situations.  They failed to remember that they were with the Son of God who can do what is impossible for men.  Like the disciples, we often forget that God can do anything.  When we face challenges, we forget that God had cared for us and helped us in the past.  We need to trust in God when facing tough situations and let Him guide us and direct us to the right path.

II. Loving Others is Obedience to God
- In Romans 13:8-14, Paul explained that loving our neighbors is the fulfillment of the commandments of God in the old scriptures.  If we love God , we wouldn't worship any other God, not have any idols in any carved image, not use God's name in vain, and finally, not pray to any dead person but only to God, through his son Jesus Christ.  If we love our neighbor, we would not commit adultery, murder, steal, bear false witness or gossip, covet, and we would honor we mother and father.  With love, we have obeyed God's commandments.  Jesus, also, had commanded this in John 13:34,

'34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

- In verses 11-14, we are reminded that now is the time to wake up from our "sleep", repent and accept Jesus as our personal savior.  Now is the time to change from our old ways and be "born again" of the spirit into the family of God.  We need to stop the drunkenness, lewdness, lusts, quarrels, and also being envious or jealous of others.  As believers, we now have Christ in our hearts who will lead our way.  Let's walk like true Christians and live a righteous life and follow the way of our Lord so we may inherit the Kingdom of God and receive eternal life.  

III. Proverbs for Today/ 8:14-26

14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength.
15 By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of the earth.[a]
17 I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.
20 I traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,
21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.


22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
23 I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world.

IV.  Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 29, Exodus 30:1-10, and Psalms 31:19-24

8 Feb 13: The Faith of The Canaanite Woman and/ Obedience to Authorities

**Read Matthew 15:21-28 and Romans 13:1-7

I.The Faith of The Canaanite Woman 

- Do you consider yourself to have strong faith even in hardships?  In Matthew 15:21-28, we read a story of a Canaanite Woman who needed Jesus' help to cast out her demon-possessed daughter.  Jesus Christ kept telling her that He didn't come to help Gentiles just to test her but the woman persevered and kept asking the Lord to help her.  Like we've discussed in previous posts, we, for some reason, go to God as our last resort for a solution to our problem.  And, as weird as it may sound, sufferings and despairs lead us to go to Christ and His mercy.  When we are problem free, we forget to talk to God, we forget to praise Him, and thank Him.  We are caught up with our accomplishments and things in this world that we forget the sacrifice that Jesus Christ has done for us.  But when hardships hit us, and all things possible for men have been tried, we go seeking God again for help.  Then when God does not answer our prayer request in our time, we tend to give up easily on our faith,  We need to be like this Canaanite Woman who showed strong faith.   Even after Jesus called her a "dog" and someone not worthy of His miracles. she persevered on her requests and called the Lord for help again.  Instead of getting insulted, she kept her trust on the messiah and Jesus did not dissapoint, healing her daughter that very hour.      

II. Obedience to Authorities

- In Romans 13:1-7, Paul shared that God wants us to submit to our government and its leaders.  The authority was given by God to punish the evil and reward the good.  He wants us to abide the laws of the land that we live in.  We should not disobey our leaders for any personal reasons unless it is against what God wants.  Most of the time, all governments punish the wrong-doers and praise the law-abiding citizens.  Paul said that if they ask for taxes that we should pay the taxes.  These are only material things and what we need to focus on is building a relationship with God.  

III. Proverbs for Today/8:11-13

11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
 12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 26 - 27 and Psalms 31:1-8

7 Feb 13: Righteousness of the Heart and/ Conquer Evil With Good

**Read Matthew 15:1-20 and Romans 12:14-21

I. Righteousness of the Heart
- In Matthew 15:1-20, the Pharisees and the Scribes accused Jesus' disciples of breaking the law and the traditions of the elders by not washing their hands before they eat.  To answer this, Jesus asked them why they break the same law by telling others not to help and honor their mother and father.  Jesus, then, called them hypocrites for calling out others when they themselves break the law.  Jesus then explained that we, as humans, have added different laws of men and traditions to our teachings. It is not these simple customs such as not washing our hands before eating that will take us away from God but it is our hearts, our evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, idolatry  theft, false testimony, and slander.

- We try so hard to have a good reputation.  We spend so much time to keep our outward appearance attractive.  Just like the Pharisees and the Scribes who showed everyone that they honor and worship God but deep inside, they were envious and had other intentions.  They were supposed to be teacher's of God's word, but everything that comes out of their mouth were about the laws of mankind.  They're supposed to be the religious leaders who will guide us closer to God but what they teach was not in the Holy Scriptures, driving us away from the Lord.  It is not how we look outside and how others view us that matters.  What is in our hearts is what is important.  When we become true Christians, God changes us from within and because of this new life, our outward expression also changes.  When we are full of love from God, we tend to share this love to others.   When we were changed, our way of life shows that we are now followers of Christ and part of God's family.

II. Conquer Evil With Good
- In Romans 12:14-21, we are reminded not to hold grudges but instead pray for those who persecute us; be joyful with those who rejoice;  not be envious of others' accomplishments, be happy for them, and be humble and not be conceited for what we have, instead let us glorify God for his blessings.  We shouldn't take revenge on those who have done us wrong.  It is God's job, and not ours, to avenge what they have done and to punish them.  Instead, we need to care for our enemies.  Show them love and share our blessings with them.  Let us forgive them and free ourselves from the heavy load of bitterness.  We should not keep anger in our hearts for Jesus died for us even if we were still sinners.  Let us be like Him and be lights of this world and hope that by sharing our love with our enemies, their hearts will be softened and they will realize their mistakes, repent their sins, and give their life to God.

III. Proverbs for Today/8:1-10 (The Excellence of Wisdom)

8 Does not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?
2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.
3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:
4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.
9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 26-27, and Psalms 31:1-8