5 Feb 13: Jesus Feeds Five Thousand and/ A Living Sacrifice

**Read Matthew 14:13-21 and Romans 12:1-5

I. Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
- Matthew 14:13-21 is the story when Jesus took five loaves and two fishes from a boy and fed 5000 people.  It was written that all 5000 people not just ate, but were satisfied. When His own disciples doubted him and were worried because of the insufficient food that they possessed, Jesus multiplied it and provided for everyone.  Luke 18:27 states that “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”  This is a revelation that God can provide for us and He can meet all our needs. We need to trust in the Lord and bring everything that we have to Him and He will bless us, prosper us, and lead us to the right way and the only way for our salvation.

II. A Living Sacrifice
- Romans 12:1-5; God wants us to be living sacrifices instead of placing dead cows or sheeps in altars.  By being a living sacrifice, we fully devote ourselves to God and the way of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Will God value a rich man who donated all his money when he died or another who gave his life to the Lord and shared his blessings to others when he was alive.  I think God will view the latter one more holy because he had everything and still chose to serve God rather than the dead man who didn't have anything to lose because he was already dead and can't use his money anyways.  Our obedience from our heart and our love for our brothers and sisters are more important for God than all the old religious practices.  We need to leave our earthly desires, become "new creation", and follow Him so we, ourselves, can be called righteous and holy in the eyes of our creator.

III. Proverbs for Today/7:6-23 (The Crafty Harlot)

6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
7 And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the youths,
A young man devoid of understanding,
8 Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
9 In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
10 And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 She was loud and rebellious,
Her feet would not stay at home.
12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an impudent face she said to him:
14 “I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of Egyptian linen.
17 I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money with him,
And will come home on the appointed day.”
21 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
With her flattering lips she seduced him.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,[a]
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it would cost his life.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 21:22-36, Exodus 22, Exodus 23:1-13, and Psalms 29:1-11

4 Feb 13: Herod Beheads John the Baptist and/ God's Unchanging Mercy

**Read Matthew 14:1-12 and Romans 11:28-36

I. Herod Beheads John the Baptist
- Matthew 14:1-12 is a story of the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist.  John was imprisoned by Herod Antipas because he spoke against his marriage with Herodias.  When Herod Antipas visited his half-brother, Herod Philip, he fell in love with his sister in law so he divorced his wife to marry her.  For this to happen, Herodias must divorce her husband too so when Herod Antipas and Herodias got married, John called it "immoral and unlawful" under Jewish law.  Because of fear of an uproar and possible loss of power, Herod Antipas, with the request of her new wife, ordered the imprisonment of John the Baptist.  But Herod did not give John a death sentence because of fear of John's followers, who see him as God's prophet.  This all changed at Herod's birthday when his daughter was given a promise to give her whatever she asks.  She, with the help of her mother, then requested for the head of John the Baptist delivered on a platter.  Because of the pressure of his daughter's request and the guests with them, he ordered John the Baptist's beheading.

- Herod did not want to kill John the Baptist but he gave the order so he would not be embarrassed in front of all the guests at his party.  He gave in to the pressure of his daughter, wife, and the crowd to do something wrong and evil.  Sometimes we are pressured by our friends and own family to do something that we are not comfortable with, something that is against our faith.  Sometimes, they discourage us to take the leap of faith and leave the old religious traditions.  We need to be strong and not give in to their requests even though we will be embarrassed in front of them and others.  We are not here to please them but we are in this world to please the true God.  Our friends and families will not give us salvation.  It is your personal decision to have a relationship with God, not of your parents, your friends, your relatives, or anybody else. We need to do what is right no matter how painful or embarrassing it is.

"What good is it to a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul" - Matthew 16:26.

II. God's Unchanging Mercy
- In Romans 11:28-36, Paul explained that God's original plan was for the Jews to share all their blessings to the Gentiles, which they ignored and neglected.  Now that God has blessed the Gentiles anyways through Jesus Christ, it is now the Gentiles's turn to obey God and bless the Jews.  His mercy does not change and is still for everyone.

- We used to be with the world , unrighteous and disobedient to God..  We were the ones that were away from God but now that we have been "born again" spiritually, into His family, we need to share our blessing with the non-believers.  We can do this by sharing the "good news" and praying for them.  We can ask God to plant a seed in their hearts so one day, it might grow and open their eyes and ears to God's word.  Jesus has given us the Great Commission to spread the good news to everyone:

"And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” - Mark 16:15

III. Proverbs for Today/ 7:1-5

7 My son, keep my words,
And treasure my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and live,
And my law as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 19:16-25, Exodus 20, Exodus 21:1-21, Psalms 28:1-9

3 Feb 13: The Parables of the Kingdom and/ The Kindness and Severity of God

**Read Matthew 13:44-58 and Romans 11:22-27

I. The Parables of the Kingdom
- Matthew 13:44-58; In verses 44-52, Jesus taught his followers with parables once again.  In verses 44-46, He described the Kingdom of heaven like a treasure hidden in the field and like pearls.  People look for these and when they find these treasures, they gave everything for it.  When we seek the scriptures and the love of God and when we find it, we will know that this is better than anything we have here on earth.  Better than money, better than cars, better than IPads or IPhones, basically, better than everything!  When we seek God, we have to make a choice: to give up all the earthly and worldly things to follow the Lord and his way or to acquire earthly materials and live the life of the world.  This will be the difference of us getting our salvation from the grace of God.   We are blinded by all the treasures here on earth.  We are too busy seeking riches, intelligence, fame, and power that we forget to glorify and honor the creator of heaven and earth.  We start worshiping money and ourselves and become proud of all the accomplishments and the "wisdom" we received.  We tend to glorify ourselves and our "good luck" instead of thanking God for all the blessings that He has given us.  Remember in Jeremiah 9:23-24,

23 Thus says the Lord:
     “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
     Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
     Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
     24 But let him who glories glory in this,
     That he understands and knows Me,
    That I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
     For in these I delight,” says the Lord. 

- In verses 47-52, Jesus also described the Kingdom as a dragnet, which fishermen used to catch fish.  When they pull the net, the fisherman will only pick and keep the good ones and throw back the bad ones.  This is the same for the Kingdom.  When judgment day comes, the angels of heaven will come to earth to separate the believers from the non-believers.  Those who gave everything in this world to follow Christ, our Lord, will have everlasting life and  those who rejected him and followed the world will be thrown into the furnace of fire.

- In verses 53-58, Jesus came back to his hometown of Nazareth and preached in Synagogues.  When His neighbors heard him teach, they started doubting Him and rejecting Him because they knew Him as their neighbor, the son of a carpenter, Joseph and his wife, Mary.  They brother of James, Joses, Simon, Judas, and a couple sisters, who were all just like them.  They started asking questions where He received the Wisdom of God and refused to believed that He is the son of God that was promised in the scriptures.  Sometimes we also have questions why the son of God had to come to us as a man to save us.  We are skeptics and unconvinced of the messiah.  Here's a story that my grandmother shared with us.  It is the story of The Man and the Birds.

"There is a man who was kind, loving, and caring for His family.  He was a good man but He doesn't believe in the story that God sent his son Jesus, as a man, for us to be saved from our sins.  One Christmas eve, He told his wife that He wasn't going to church with her and the kids because he felt like a hypocrite to sit there, not believing the message.  So he stayed in the house and waited for his family to come back.  After his family left for church, a snow storm came.  He was sitting on his chair, reading a newspaper when he heard a thud.  At first, he thought that it was just kids throwing snow balls.  Then he heard that thump again, and it kept going and going, so he decided to check it out.  When he opened his curtain, he saw a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow.  They had been searching for a shelter and tried to fly through his large landscape window.  He could not leave the birds out there to freeze and die so he decided to try to get them to the barn where they would be warm.  So he got his coat, opened the barn doors wide open and turn on the light but the birds did not come.  He tried to lure them with bread crumbs making a trail from his house to the barn, but the birds just ignored him.  He tried shooing them to the barn, walking around and waving his hands, but the helpless birds just got scared and scattered in every direction except to the barn and its light.  Then he realized that the birds were afraid of them and said to himself, "if only I was a bird like them, then I can talk to them and tell them not to be scared and follow me to the warm barn.  I need to be one of them so they may hear me and understand me".  After he said this, he heard the church bell ring and then he realized that this is the same thing for Jesus Christ.  He then understood that Jesus came to earth as a man so we can hear Him and understand Him and hopefully follow Him to the warm barn, which is the Kingdom of Heaven." 

II. The Kindness and Severity of God
- In Romans 11:22-27, Paul told us that even though God has provided the Gentiles the same grace as the Jews, it does not mean that we have the freedom to commit sin and not honor Him and still receive salvation. If you are a true believer of God and a follower of Jesus Christ, you will love Him and obey Him. God has cutoff the original branch (some Jews) from the root and He will do the same thing to the new grafted branches (Gentiles) if we continue to disobey Him, reject Him and refuse to change our ways. But also remember that it is never too late to accept Jesus as our savior. Once we do this, and ask for repentance, God will forgive us, bless us, and with His grace, He will accept us in His family.

III. Proverbs for Today/6:27-35

27 Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?
29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
30 People do not despise a thief
If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving.
31 Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold;
He may have to give up all the substance of his house.
32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding;
He who does so destroys his own soul.
33 Wounds and dishonor he will get,
And his reproach will not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is a husband’s fury;
Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will accept no recompense,
Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.

Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 17:8-16, Exodus 18, Exodus 19:1-15, Psalms 27:7-14

2 Feb 13: The Parable of the Weeds Explained and/ The Ingrafted Branches

**Read Matthew 13:36-43 and Romans 11:13-21

I. The Parable of the Weeds Explained

- In Matthew 13:36-43, Jesus explained the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13:24-30. The sower is Jesus Christ, the field is the world, and the good seeds are the believers. The weeds are the non-believers and the devil is its sower. The harvest is judgment day and the harvesters are the angels. When the end comes, the angels would be separating the harvest (believers) from the weeds (non-believers), the good from the evil.  All non-believers and unrighteous will be thrown to the fiery furnace of hell and all of God's children will inherit His kingdom.  There are true and false believers in our churches today. At the same time there are true and false churches out there. According to Jesus, we cannot judge the false believers because we might damage the true believers while doing so. We need to constrain ourselves and instead share with them verses from the Bible, pray for them and hope that they, also, would see the light and the true gospel.  As a follower, we have the duty and obligation to share the Word to everyone who hears.  Let us give them the chance to receive God's message and choose if they want to be a good seed or a weed.  Let us give them a choice of life in heaven or life wailing and gnashing of their teeth.

II. The Ingrafted Branches

- In Romans 11:13-21, Paul explained to the Gentile Christians not to feel superior to the Jews because God rejected some of them.  He explained that the Jewish religion is the root and the Jewish people are the branches. Some of the Jewish non-believers were cut off the tree and were replaced by Christian gentiles, who are now also considered holy.  He reminded them not to boast against them for the Jewish religion was the root of Christianity. Christianity is the continuation of Judaism with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We cannot be prideful for the blessings and grace we received from God but instead we need to glorify His name and praise Him for the salvation and blessings He has given us.  Let us pray for all humanity that they may soften and open their hearts to the message of the Lord, accept Him as their savior, repent of their sins, and follow His ways.  Let us lead them as Jesus led us closer to God and His family.

III. Proverbs for Today/6:20-26

20My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
 22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
 23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
 24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
 25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
 26For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.

Additional Old Testament Reading:

1 Feb 13: Parables of the Kingdom and/ A Stumbling Block to the Jews

**Read Matthew 13:24-35 and Romans 11:7-12

I. Parables of the Kingdom
- In Matthew 13:24-35; Jesus again used parables to illustrate the kingdom of heaven.  in Verses 24-30, Jesus told the parable of the weeds.  The wheat are the believers and the weeds are the non-believers.  This can also represent the church as a whole.  In a congregation, there are always the "true Christians" and the ones who "say that they are Christians".  There are murderers, idolaters, adulterers, liers, thieves, gossipers, and money lovers among us for the church is open to anyone.  In a church, we, as human beings, can not distinguish who they are.  Appearances can be deceiving.  We cannot judge people by the way they look or our first impression.  Some might come to service with their nice coats or Sunday dress, stands up and lifts their hand during worship, but when they get home, they prey on young kids in the internet or they worship their money and belongings.  Then we'll have someone who comes in wearing a simple shirt and jeans and has a full beard, tattoos, and ear piercings everywhere but leads a bible study and volunteers at a homeless shelter every Saturday.  Jesus is saying that these two groups of people would be separated during judgment day by God.  God, when it is time, will determine who are wicked and who are the righteous.  The wicked would be "tied into bundles and burned" in eternal damnation while the righteous would be gathered into the barn and receive salvation and eternal life.  It is not our job to separate them but when the time comes, when they are "fully grown", God will distinguish them and give his judgment.

II. A Stumbling Block to the Jews
- In Romans 11:7-12, Paul explained how Jesus Christ have shared the "good news" and only some have accepted it.  Many have rejected Him as the messiah and if they continue to refuse the "good news", they eventually would be punished by God and would be blinded and be deaf for they would not understand what they see and what they hear for the message would be unclear no matter what they do.  Without knowledge of the Word of God, you would not know God.  And without God, there would be no grace and salvation.

-  There are many out there who we've tried to reach and share the message but have rejected God's word.  They have hardened hearts who are set on their beliefs influenced by their customs, religious traditions, and family culture. We have family members and friends who discourage us with our faith and try to pull us back to our "old religion" because of the misfortunes that is happening in our lives.  They seem to reject our way of life, which we actually based from the Bible, God's Word.  It's not like we distorted the message and added laws of men and try to force it to them.  We are basically just following and sharing what the Bible says.  But because they are blinded by the lusts of the world and pride, they would not change for the better, they would not accept the "good news", and they would no follow Jesus' way.  The scripture clearly stated that if they continue to refuse, God will punish them and take away any chance of understanding the Word through the Holy Spirit, which will prevent them from a relationship with Jesus Christ and God and entry to the Kingdom of God.

III. Proverbs for Today/ 6:16-19

16 These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.

IV.Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 13:17-22, Exodus 14, Exodus 15:1-18, and Psalms 26:1-12

31 Jan 13: Parable of the Sower and/ The Remnant of Israel

**Read Matthew 13:1-23 and Romans 11:1-6

I.  Parable of the Sower
- In Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus used the parable of the sower to illustrate the different people that is in the world.  The seed is the word of God and the sower is Jesus Christ.  When Jesus Christ shares his "good news" with others,  there are four receivers: the wayside, stony place, thorns, and finally, good ground.  The wayside are the people who receives the message but does not understand it.  They might think that the message is all rubbish talk.  These are the "close-minded" people who no matter what you share, would not care because they are stuck in their old tradition.  The stony place are the people who hear the message, accept it easily, but does not dig deeper in their faith.  They are the curious and willing who go to church every Sunday, sing the worship songs, and listen to the message but because they "don't have a root", when hardships come, they criticize God and blame Him for what is happening in their life.  They are the hypocrites and proclaim that they love God but worship idols, commit adultery, and gossips against others.  The thorns are the people who hear the message, accepts the message but at the same time, loves the world and its lusts.  They are the people who are blinded by money, fame, and pride.  They are the people who care so much about what people think about them and boasts all their successes to their fellow men.  Because of this, they don't bear good fruit for they are selfish and self-centered.  The final one are the good ground.  These are the people who hears the message, understands the message, accepts them, repent, and seek the Lord through bible studies and building a relationship with Him.  They are the ones who devote themselves by changing their lives and follow Jesus' way of life.  We can tell who they are because their lives drastically change and they don't do the "norm" or the way of the world anymore.  They bear good fruit and build treasures in heaven.  So what ground are you?    When are you going to leave the wayside, the stony place, and the thorns to go to the good ground and follow the way of the Lord?

II. The Remnant of Israel
- In Romans 11:1-6, Paul continued his argument that God has not left Israel and the chosen people.  At the same time, Paul has said that not all Jews would be saved.  Not just because they were descendants of Abraham, part of a religion or a family, they would automatically enter the kingdom of God.  They need to have faith in Jesus Christ as their savior and by the love and grace of God, they would have eternal life.   Remember that is only by grace of God and not of any works or good deeds that you would receive salvation and righteousness.

III. Proverbs for Today/ 6:12-15 (The Wicked Man)

12 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
13 He winks with his eyes,
He shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
14 Perversity is in his heart,
He devises evil continually,
He sows discord.
15 Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly;
Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
 Exodus 10-11 Exodus 12:1-13  Psalms 25:1-15 

30 Jan 13: The Sign of Jonah and/ Preaching the Good News

**Read Matthew 12:38-50 and Romans 10:14-21

I. The Sign of Jonah
-  Matthew 12:38-50; as you all remember on the previous study, Jesus healed a demon-possessed, blind, mute man.  And after doing this and all other miracles, the Pharisees and scribes asked for one more miracle or "sign" to show that Jesus is really the son of God.  Jesus replied to them by saying that "only an evil and adulterous generation would demand another miracle".  He shared the story of Jonah, and how he was in the belly of a whale for three days and three nights, survived, came to Ninevah, preached the Word of God, and people repented of their sins.  Jesus tried to imply that He had done a lot of miracles already and also there are many signs in the Old Scriptures that points to His coming and even though He is greater than Jonah, they did not want to repent.

- There are times in our lives that we go to God and ask Him for signs or miracles so we may continue our faith in Him.  Sometimes, we actually demand God to prove that He is real.  The only sign we need is in the Bible, where it is written that Jesus died and resurrected after three days.  This is the corner stone of our faith, the hope that we will have eternal life.

- In verses 46-50, with a crowd getting bigger, Mary and her sons came to see Jesus. (I know there are religions that speak against Mary having other sons with Joseph to keep his "virginity" intact even-though there are numerous verses in the Bible that talks about Jesus' siblings such as Matthew 13:55 who even named four of his brothers: James, Joses, Simon, and Judas.  Other verses are Matthew 13:56, John 7:1-10, Acts 1:14, and Galatians 1:19).  Many commentators have argued that they came to Jesus to ask Him to stop whatever He is doing because He is upsetting a lot of people especially the Pharisees.  As you all did not know, Jesus' own family doubted Him and His divinity.  This is written in John 7:5, "5 For even His brothers did not believe in Him".  So when Jesus heard that they were looking for Him, He told a disciple that "His mother and brothers are the ones who does the will of God".  This shows that our blood relationship does not count in our salvation.  It is our spiritual relationship with God that matters most.

- Even Mary became an apostle of Christ after His death and had to build a relationship with the Father to receive grace and eternal life.  Contrary to other religious belief, Mary has NO ROLE at all in our salvation. She is not divine or Holy. "5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, "(1 Timothy 2:5).  At the same time, we are not forgiven of our "original sin" just by being baptized when we are babies.  To be born in the family of God, we need to know God and accept Him ourselves.  And all that can not be done when we are babies.  Being a true Christian happens when we are old enough to decide that we want to follow Jesus and fully devote ourselves to God.

II. Preaching the Good News
- Romans 10:14-21; when I was a young Christian, I always wonder what will happen to people who were born in a family of another religion.  Would they be saved? I always think that it is unfair for them not to receive salvation for it is not their fault to be born from their parents.  But what I learned in recent years is that the gospel is everywhere and once we hear about God, we have a choice to accept or reject the "Word".  In these passage, Paul explains that the gospel is for everyone to hear and it is our job, as Christians, to share the it to everyone.  There are hundreds if not thousands of missionaries that go to the ends of the earth to share the gospel to non-believers.  The internet has provided a medium for every person in this planet to access the Bible.  This is the reason why we would not have an excuse at judgment day that we never heard the gospel.  Now, we need to do our part to help everybody get a chance to know God.  I know that you've been thinking of sharing the gospel to your spouse, parents, siblings, friends, neighbors, co-workers, or even strangers.  Is God calling you to spread the good news to them?  What are you waiting for? God's message of salvation must be taken to everyone so they can have the chance to accept Him and enter the Kingdom of God or reject Him and  receive eternal condemnation and damnation.

III. Proverbs for Today/6:6-11  (The Folly of Indolence)

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard?
When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep—
11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler,
And your need like an armed man.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:

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29 Jan 13: The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of satan and/ Reconciliation to God through Faith

**Read Matthew 12:22-37 and Romans 10:1-13

I.  The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of satan
- In Matthew 12:22-37, Jesus healed a man who was blind, mute, and also demon-possessed.  When the crowd saw this, they were amazed and wondered if He was the son of David that the old scriptures were talking about.  The Pharisees, not liking what they heard, told them that He was actually a follower of Beelzebub or satan himself.  Jesus replied by saying that the spirit of God is who is working in Him. He told the Pharisees that "you're either with me or against me. there is no in between or maybe".  He also told them that they are not slandering Him but the Spirit that God sent and this will not be forgiven for eternity.  He, then, said that if you had the Holy Spirit, then you will bear good fruit.  But if you have evil, in you, you will never bear good fruit or do good things. With Jesus, He healed many, casted out demons, and brought back lives because God gave Him the power to do so.  This itself, is proof that He is the son of David that was promised to save us from our sins.  Who else would have the power to do all these.

- When we are demon-possessed (obsessed with the things and lusts in this world such as money, cars, houses, electronics, ourselves), we are sometimes blinded and cannot see the love of God.  We are also blinded because of traditions that were made by men and not by God.  Traditions like the black Nazarene, the Sto. Nino, rosary, idols and praying to the saints.  Second, we are mute because we can't openly proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ as our savior.  We are embarrassed to say that "I am a Christian" because of fear of what others might say, fear of what your friends and families might think.  This means that you don't have faith in Jesus because you'll rather please sinners than God and His Son.  This is the reason why God sent Jesus to us so we can build a relationship with our Father in heaven.   When we believe, you will see how the Holy Spirit will work in your life.  You will become guilty in things that you have done all the time before.  This is a reason why we can't just follow the law (religious traditions, customs) and think that we will be saved.  Anybody can follow the Law but not everything has faith in God and Jesus (Like the Pharisees).  But if you have faith and devoted your life to God, He will send you the Holy Spirit that will guide you and change you dramatically to do good things and bear good fruit.

II. Reconciliation to God through Faith
- In Romans 10:1-13, Paul knew that the Jews need to establish their faith and relationship with God again so they may be saved.  The Jews had the desire to know God but they lack the knowledge and he mentioned that this knowledge can be obtained by the good news that Jesus Christ has given us.  The righteousness will be received through faith in Jesus and the grace of God and not by good deeds.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say that being a good person, by itself, will get anyone into heaven but if you have faith in God, the goodness in your heart will reflect upon you and you will show love and kindness to others. One way to show your faith is by professing and confessing to others that you chose to follow Jesus. Next, is actually doing it and following the ways of the Lord because once we proclaim to be Christians we become living testimonies, like it is written in 2 Corinthians 5:20,

"20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God."

III. Proverbs for Today/6:1-5

6 My son, if you become surety for your friend,
If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,
2 You are snared by the words of your mouth;
You are taken by the words of your mouth.
3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself;
For you have come into the hand of your friend:
Go and humble yourself;
Plead with your friend.
4 Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids.
5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.[a]

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 8-9 and Psalms 24:1-10

28 Jan 13: Lord of the Sabbath and/ Israel's Rock of Stumbling

**Read Matthew 12:1-21 and Romans 9:27-33

I. Lord of the Sabbath
-  Matthew 12:1-21; Jesus' popularity among the Jews was growing and because of this, the Pharisees and the Scribes were starting to get threatened so they looked for ways to get rid of Jesus, either by imprisonment or death.    They accused Jesus of breaking the Law (Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy) when His disciples went to the fields and harvested for their food.  They also tried to trick Him one more time by bringing a man with withered hand and then asking Jesus if it was legal to heal on the Sabbath.  Jesus explained to the "religious leaders" that He is greater than the Law and because they have been too concerned of losing their control of the people, they have blinded themselves for not seeing who He really is.  Jesus added, with the use of an analogy, that if any of God's people is in danger and cried our for help, He will not ignore them just because it is the Sabbath Day.  God is still God during the Sabbath and will help out his people.

-In verses 15-21, another prophecy was again fulfilled through Jesus Christ.  Do you know that Jesus fulfilled  more than 300 prophecies?  The probability of these is so outrageous that there is no doubt that He was the messiah that God had sent to save us.  From being born in Bethlehem from a virgin, a descendant of David, preceded by a messenger who prepared His way (John the Baptist), entered Jerusalem riding a donkey, betrayed by one of his followers (Judas) for 30 silver coins, garments divided by casting lots, crucified with pierced hands and feet, bones will not be broken, Resurrection, and many more.  These are prophecies that were written hundreds and hundreds of years ago before Jesus was born.  Let us put this in a different perspective.  A mathematician, Peter Stoner calculated the probability of 1 person fulfilling only 8 prophecies to 1 of 100,000,000,000,000,000 or 1 x 10^17.  If we have 1 x 10^17 silver dollar coins, it will cover the whole state of Texas (268,800 sq miles) two feet deep.  So what are the chances that if we mark one of the coins red and give a blindfolded man one change to pick a coin, that he will get that coin.  If he does succeed, we will call this a miracle and that is what Jesus is.  Of course, Jesus did not just fulfill 8 prophecies so let's see if one person fulfills a much larger number.  For 48 prophecies, the probability jumps to 1 of 1 x 10^157.  Peter Stoner shared that if we counted this much electrons at a rate of 250 per minute day and night, it will still take us 19 million years to finish.  And that is just a mere 48 prophecies.  What more if we have 100, 200, or 300+ prophecies. There is no man, past or present, that can fulfill half, a quarter or probably even 10 of the prophecies foretold.  Jesus is definitely the son of God, the messiah, and the savior that God sent us to die for our sins.  Now after reading this, do we still have doubts who Jesus Christ really is.  The Bible is true and it is backed by history and archaeology.  It is written by men inspired by God to share His message of love and salvation for all of us.  Let us read it, believe in it, and live by it.  Let us accept Jesus Christ as our savior, repent our sins, and follow His ways.  Let us build a relationship with our Father and live to honor, worship, praise, and glorify His name.

II. Israel's Rock of Stumbling
-  In Romans 9:27-33, Paul illustrated that God has chosen the Jews as his people.  There were many of them just like the sand of the sea.  But it doesn't mean that all of them will be saved but only the remnant or few will actually be saved.  Jesus came to the earth to preach the "good news" but only a few accepted Him and most, including the Pharisees and the scholarly Scribes, completely rejected Him.  Paul also reminded us that we can do all the religious practices, ceremonies, and traditions of this world, we can even say that "I am good anyways and does not commit sin, that's all that matters," but this does not matter, for it is not by following the Law that we will get you saved, but by seeking faith and relationship with God.  It is only by grace that we will receive salvation.

- Depending on where we were raised and what religion we grew up on, we were probably those who pursued righteousness through our good deeds and by following the Law.  We may think that if we go to church every Sunday, give offerings, and be nice to people, this will earn us a ticket to the gates of Heaven.  But God does not want this.  He instead wants faith in Him for if you have faith and loved Him, this will all be natural for you.  When God send us the Holy Spirit, our hearts will be changed, and we will start living like Jesus and receive grace and righteousness from God.

III. Proverbs for Today/5:22-23

22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man,
And he is caught in the cords of his sin.
23 He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

IV.  Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 5:22, Exodus 6-7, Psalms 23:1-6

27 Jan 13: Jesus Denounces Unrepentant Cities and/ God's Decision Are Just and Merciful

**Read Matthew 11:20-30 and Romans 9:19-26

I. Jesus Denounces Unrepentant Cities

- In Matthew 11:20-30; Jesus rebuked the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum.  These cities is where Jesus did most of his preaching, miracles, and healing.  People in those cities saw Jesus' mighty works, first hand, but still, for some reason, did not accept him as the messiah and did not repent for their sins.  Jesus even mentioned Sodom, which is a place of immorality and unrighteousness, to be more tolerable during judgment day than Capernaum.  He explained that if all these miracles were done in the other cities (Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom) that those people would have accepted him and repented a long time ago.  Because they have seen these miracles personally and still rejected Him, they were more accountable and their punishments would be more severe, even saying that the city Capernaum "will be brought down to Hades".

- Is this happening with our lives right now?  The Bible, the "good news", the "Word" is everywhere.  They're in homes, hotels, libraries, book stores, and all over the internet.  We go to church, listen to teachings, read the Bible, hear the verses, and do our daily devotionals, but even though, for some reason, we (sinners) still rejected the message and have not asked for forgiveness.  We already read the commandments of not committing adultery, idolatry, etc but we still have sexual relationships with someone else other than our wives, we still have statues or idols in the form of a "baby Jesus (Sto Nino)", Mary, or "saints" in our homes, and we still pray to dead people.  We heard the message of salvation and being "born again," but we still keep the traditions and reject Jesus' call for change in our hearts. But Why?  Because "The god of this age (satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).  We are too focused on getting rich here on earth and pleasing our families and friends that our hearts are hardened. Even though we have read God's message and we know what we are and are not supposed to do, we still choose to ignore Him and follow the ways of the world.  We are more focused on what is here on this earth, the material things that consumes our time and body, and the lusts and temptations of this world that we worship.  We are made to worship.  If you are not worshiping God, then who are you worshiping?  It can be another "god", your money, your fame, a person, or even yourself.  It might be your parents or friends that you are trying to please so much.  Remember,

“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" -Matthew 6:24.

II. God's Decision Are Just and Merciful

- In Romans 9:19-26, Paul said that we don't have the right to question or demand anything from God who created the heaven and earth.  We are in no place to ask why God did not create us to be configured as robots who will live "holy" lives so He would not find fault in us.  Paul then reminded us that if God wants to be really fair, then He will just send us all to the fires of hell because we all deserve it for being ungodly sinners.  But because He loves His people so much, He decided to give us a road to salvation.  This road is only one way: either we accept Jesus and repent or we are thrown to the fires of hell.

III. Proverbs for Today/5:15-21

15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And running water from your own well.
16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be only your own,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
And always be enraptured with her love.
20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman,
And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
And He ponders all his paths.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Exodus 4, Exodus 5:1-21, and Psalms 22:19-31

26 Jan 13: Jesus and John the Baptist and/ God's Sovereign Choice

**Read Matthew 11:2-19 and Romans 9:6-18

I. Jesus and John the Baptist
- In Matthew 11:2-19; John the Baptist has been in prison for a while and because of this, he has been experiencing some doubts on who Jesus really was.  John's mission was to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of the messiah but how can he do this when he is in prison.  So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He really was the messiah.  John probably did this to be assured that he didn't waste his life and he completed his mission.  Jesus told the disciples to tell John about all the miracles, healing, and the raising of the dead that He has done.  After this, Jesus asked the crowd who they think John was when they went to see him in the wilderness.  He, then, said that he was a prophet and a messenger who will prepare (or already prepared) the way.  This is if the crowd accepts Jesus as the messiah.  He then told the crowd to listen to what John proclaimed when he said in John 1:29, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!".  His illustrations in verse 16 about children in marketplaces meant that the "good news" and the truth is already being preached and for some reason, people are still not accepting it.  In verses 18-19, Jesus then explain that the Pharisees and Scribes persecuted John because he did not dine with them and accused him of being with a demon but when Jesus did those things, He, then, was accused of gluttony and being a drunk.  Jesus ended by saying that their works were justified by the fruit that they bore.

- We sometimes start to doubt our faith in God and Jesus Christ as our savior. When things do not go as planned, we tend to think that God is not listening or does not want to help us. When this happens, instead of doubting him, seek him, read the bible, pray to him

"8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" - Matthew 7:8

II. God's Sovereign Choice
- In Romans 9:6-18, Paul explained that God has sovereignty or complete control of our lives and our salvation.  He used the story of Jacob and Esau, and how even before they were born, even before they have committed any good or evil, God had already chosen Jacob whom He will create a nation (Israel).   This shows that God has complete control on who will inherit His kingdom.  It is never through our works but always through His grace that we are saved.  God has a plan for each of us and sometimes we do not understand that plan or it does not match to what we want to happen, we need to keep our trust in Him for He knows what is best for us.  Just remember Romans 8:28

"And we know that ll things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose"

III. Proverbs for Today/ 5:7-14

7 Therefore hear me now, my children,
And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Remove your way far from her,
And do not go near the door of her house,
9 Lest you give your honor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;
10 Lest aliens be filled with your wealth,
And your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
11 And you mourn at last,
When your flesh and your body are consumed,
12 And say:
“How I have hated instruction,
And my heart despised correction!
13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers,
Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!
14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

IV. Additional Old Testament:
Exodus 2:11-25, Exodus 3, and Psalms 22:1-18

25 Jan 13: Bearing the Cross of Jesus and/ Paul's Longing for the Salvation of the Jews

**Read Matthew 10:19-11:1 and Romans 9:1-5

I. Bearing the Cross of Jesus
- Matthew 10:19-11:1; Remember in the previous post that Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the gospel.   Jesus also told them that men will deliver them to councils to accuse and persecute them.  The disciples were uneasy and they thought they were not ready to preach the gospels but Jesus assured them and told them not to worry for God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, will give them the words to speak and the wisdom to teach and share the Word of God.  After this, they are warned that they, along with others who accepted the gospel, would be persecuted by others including their own family members.  As a believer, we will face much hate from our friends, neighbors, siblings, parents, or our own children just because we have a different faith and way of life but we should all persevere and not give in with what the world wants for it is God that we should fear because He is the only one that can take our lives.  We all have a duty to share the Word and be the light of the World and as we confess our faith before everyone, Jesus will be our advocate when it is time to stand before God.  Let us not be scared of what others might say or think of us for what is important is what God sees in our heart and the treasures that we store in heaven.  If we keep hiding our faith in the closet, Jesus will not know and defend us.  Becoming a follower of Christ is not easy.  We need to know that we have to give up everything and everyone and put God as our priority. We must love God more than our family and put Him first in everything we do.  We can't continue to ignore our faith because of our family or friends.  Not everyone can enter God's kingdom, and it is our choice if we want to please our family and be denied entry to heaven or please God and be adopted into His family.  As we take up our own cross, our values, morals, goals, and purposes in life will change and this will set us apart from others. The more we put value in the treasures here on earth, the more we will realize how empty they really are.  We need to loosen our greedy grasp of all of the world's rewards so we can be free to follow Jesus.  The earlier we can build our treasures in heaven, the faster we can build our relationship with God inherit eternal life.

II. Paul's Longing for the Salvation of the Jews
- In Romans 9:1-5, Paul expressed his sadness and disappointment that his fellow brothers and country men  are not accepting Jesus as their savior.  He then said that he would sacrifice his life if that would help them be saved.  We all know that it is only through our faith in Jesus that we may be saved but Paul is showing us great love of his neighbors that he is willing to sacrifice his own life for others.  So how much do we love our family, friends and neighbors?  Are we willing to give up something, even small, for the sake of their salvation?  Can we share our time, our energy, our money for those who need Christ so they can receive the gospel and be saved?  We get disappointed when it seems like our friends and families ignore the message that we share.  We need to know that sharing love, encouragement, hope, and a few verses is never a waste.  We are planting seeds in our their hearts in hope of some day they will open their eyes, ears, and hearts to the Word, accept the Lord as their savior, and pick up their cross to follow Him.  We are hoping that someday, this seed that we planted months or years ago will grow to a big tree and bear good fruit.

III. Proverbs for Today/5:1-6 (The Peril of Adultery)

1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
Lend your ear to my understanding,
2 That you may preserve discretion,
And your lips may keep knowledge.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey,
And her mouth is smoother than oil;
4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
Sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death,
Her steps lay hold of hell.[a]
6 Lest you ponder her path of life—
Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Genesis 50, Exodus 1, Exodus 2:1-10, and Psalms 21:1-13

24 Jan 13: Jesus Commissions the Twelve and/ More Than Conquerors Through Christ

**Read Matthew 10:1-18 and Romans 8:28-39

I.  Jesus Commissions the Twelve
- In Matthew 10:1-18, Jesus gave His twelve disciples the power to cast out demons and the power to heal the sick.  Jesus, then, instructed them not to go to the Gentiles and Samaritans but to go find the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" and preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  The reason is that the gospel must be shared to the Jews first, then when refused, to the Gentiles.  Jesus also instructed them not to take any money (gold, silver, or copper) for payment but be a testimony of the power of God.  In verses 16-18, Jesus warned them that they would be persecuted and there would be many out there, like wolves, that would try to accuse them of wrongdoings and probably get them arrested but always trust in the Lord and He will protect them.  He told them that they would suffer because of His name and be strong for God is with them.

- Have you been ignoring your calling from God?  Some might have experienced a calling to serve the Lord but has been fighting it for years.  When Jesus told the disciples to go and be the messenger of the "good news", they did not hesitate.  Without food, money, and a place to sleep, they trusted God to provide for them and He did provide.  They were told to go to city after city looking for a worthy person that would share their blessings from God with the disciples.  And every city that they go to, there was at least one house that helped them.  Just like the twelve disciples, we need to step up and respond to God.  We need to trust Him to lead us to the way of salvation.  It doesn't have to be an evangelical mission to go to the outskirts of the world, but any means of service, through being ushers, playing with the worship band, arranging the chairs after service, or even picking up thrash outside the church.  We can all do our part.  We can start by sharing a verse to families and friends or giving our own testimonies.  We don't know how a small act can lead to the salvation of another and also to a wonderful relationship with God.  God has given us different gifts (Romans 12:6-8) and we need to use them to serve and glorify His name.

II. More Than Conquerors Through Christ
- Romans 8:28-39 is a powerful reading that shows the everlasting love and promise that God has given us.  As I said before, it is very very hard to be a Christian.  One mistake and you start doubting your faith.  One mistake, and other non-believers start criticizing you.  "If you are a Christian then why are you doing this, and doing that, and how come you're not as rich as that other guy who is not a believer?"  It is not if we get persecuted but when we will get persecuted because it happens all the time.  For some reason, Christians become laughingstocks of movies, our friends and even our own families just because we live a different life, a life that follows Jesus and His way and not of the world.  But God said, don't grow weary for it is stated in verse 28 that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose".  ALL THINGS work together for good, not just one or some but All things.  This is a bold statement but if you trust in the Lord Almighty, He will do good things in your life in His own timing.  God sent Jesus to the world and did not spare His life but offered Him as a sacrifice for us, sinners. If a father can offer his only begotten son, what else can he not do for us.

"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)

Nobody and nothing can separate us from his everlasting love, not even trials, persecution, and hardships.  God's love is so powerful and we just need to trust in Him and He will bless us so we can praise Him and glorify His name for He is worthy!

III. Proverbs for Today/4:20-27

20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading: 

Genesis 48-49 and Psalms 20:1-9

23 Jan 13: Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute and Casts Out Demons and/ Our Future Glory

**Read Matthew 9:27-38  and Romans 8:18-27

I. Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute and Casts Out Demons
-In Matthew 9:27-38, Jesus did three more miracles: healed the blind, healed the mute, and casted out demons.  Unlike previous miracles, Jesus did not heal the two blind men instantly.  He waited to see where their heart and faith is.  They knew that Jesus was the "son of David", the savior, and the messiah and they came to Him to get their sight back.  But after crying out to Him, Jesus tested and asked them if they believe Jesus can heal them in which they answered, "Yes Lord".  Sometimes, we call on God for help and blessings but we don't show how badly we want it.  After a couple of prayers or a week, a month, or even a year, we give up on the Lord and abandon our faith.  If it seems like God is working slow to answer our prayers, maybe He is just testing our faith to make our faith stronger just like the blind men.  Keep trusting in God and if it is His will, He will grant all your prayers in His time.

-  After the healing of the blind men, other citizens brought Jesus a demon-possessed, mute man.  Jesus healed the man and casted out the demons and because of this, most of the people of Israel were amazed.  But with all the chatter of this miraculous healer going around, the so called experts of the "Book of God", were the first ones to shut Him down and even accused Jesus of being the ruler of the demons.  Sometimes, we have so called religious people and groups that accused Christians of spreading the wrong message.  For some odd reason, "Born Again" Christians have a bad reputation, not just to other religions  but also to our fellow believers.  They make fun of our ways and ridicule the way we preach, worship, and share the Gospel.  We need to Pray to God for strength and guidance so we can continue our walk with the Lord.  We should not listen to their mockery and instead pray to God that He will send us and them the Holy Spirit to open our eyes, ears, and hearts so we can all discern the true meaning of God's messages.  

II. Our Future Glory

- In Romans 8:18-27, Paul tells us not to be stressed with our lives here on earth.  Right now, we might not be where we want to be, but these sacrifices are nothing compared to the reward we'll get when we enter the Kingdom of God.  All these trials that we face are just temporary and we are always reminded that we might be living in this world right now, but we are not from this world and the time will come that we will join our Father in heaven and live a glorious, stress-free life.  And if we are down and we think that there's no other solution for our problems, we need to reach out to our loving Father.  We, as believers and followers of Christ, are not left to our own resources to cope with problems. Even if we do not know what to say when we pray,  the Holy Spirit is always with us, putting words in our mouth.  The spirit guides us and prays with and for us.  So when we are facing difficulties, let us bring our requests to God with the help of the Holy Sprit, in the Name of Jesus Christ and trust that God will always do what is best.

III. Proverbs for Today/4:14-19
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun,[a]
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading

Genesis 46-47 and Psalms 19

22 Jan 13: Jesus Performs Miracles of Healing and/ Life Through the Spirit

**Read Matthew 9:18-26 and Romans 8:9-17

I. Jesus Performs Miracles of Healing
- In Matthew 9:18-26, Jesus performed two miracles: the healing of a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years and restoring the life of a dead girl.  The story started while Jesus was speaking with John the Baptist's disciples about fasting.  Suddenly, a "ruler" came to Him asking Him to save his daughter.  Luke 8:41 states this ruler's name as Jairus, who was the ruler of the synagogue.  Matthew said that the ruler worshiped Jesus.  Jairus actually fell down in his knees and begged Jesus to come to his house to heal his dying 12 year old daughter (Luke 8:41).  On their way to Jairus' home, a woman came from behind and touched Jesus' garment. She said “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well”. When Jesus saw her and acknowledged her faith, he told her that "her faith has made her well".  When Jesus arrived at Jairus' home, He saw many mourning.  We will learn in Luke 8:49 that right after healing the bleeding woman, someone came from Jairus' house telling him that his daughter had died.  So after Jesus saw the crowd, He told them told them to make room and that the girl is actually not dead but just sleeping.  When he said this, people started ridiculing Him and probably laughing at Him at the same time.  But when Jesus held the girl's hand, she arose and was well again.

-  These are two stories of remarkable faith in Jesus.  The first is Jairus, who was a ruler of the synogogue and even though all the other high Priests are against Jesus, he worshiped Him in front of a large crowd and begged Jesus to save his daughter.  For him to say "come and lay Your hand on her and she will live," shows that he believed in Jesus as the messiah and the son of God.  He had probably heard about Jesus' healing with just a touch such as with the leper and the fever of Peter's mother-in-law (Matthew 8:1-17).  The second, is a woman who spent all her money seeing physicians but no one could help her.  Having no other hope, she put her trust in Jesus Christ.  She, just like Jairus, probably heard about the stories of miracles and healing that Jesus was doing and knew for herself that just by touching Jesus' garment, not even his skin, it would heal her.  Sometimes we keep on waiting on other people to give us the help we need.  We tend to put our faith in them till you really feel that there is no hope.  Hope is with Jesus Christ and we need to trust God to take care of us and do all the impossible for God nothing is impossible.

II. Life Through the Spirit
- In Romans 8:9-17, Paul tells us that when we follow Jesus, He is within us along with the Holy Spirit.  With the Holy Spirit living within us, we would experience a change and a new life.  We are now adopted to the family of God and are heir's of His kingdom.  We are no longer slaves of sins but slaves of our master, which is God.

III. Proverbs for Today/ 4:11-13

11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:

Genesis 44-45 and Psalms 18:37-50

21 Jan 13: The Bridegroom and His Friends and/ No Condemnation in Christ

**Read Matthew 9:14-17 and Romans 8:1-8

I. The Bridegroom and His Friends
In Matthew 9:14-17, Jesus used three illustrations when asked by John the Baptist's disciples about fasting.  John the Baptist have been put in prison at this time but his disciples were still active and they were always fasting along with the Pharisees and wondered why Jesus and his disciples do not fast.

- In verse 15, Jesus used marriage.  If you have a couple of friends who you've hanged out with for the last 25 years. Everything, from summer camps, high school, sports, and college, you and your friends did together. Then suddenly, he told you that he's about to marry, are you and your friends supposed to mourn during the times that you are with him, or are you supposed to hang-out, party, and have fun? But right after the marriage, when you know that you'll probably see him, maybe once a week, once a month, or even once a year, because of commitment to a new family, this is the time to mourn and "fast". Jesus used this illustration to answer the concerns of John's disciples by telling them that it wasn't appropriate for His own disciples to express a spirit of mourning through a fast while he was with them. He was right there, present with them; and His presence alone was reason to rejoice and celebrate.

- At the same time, Jesus took this opportunity to tell people that everything will change.  In verse 16-17, Jesus used an unshrunked cloth and an old garment, and new wine and old wineskins for his illustrations.  His message is that He came here to establish a new covenant.  A covenant is a formal agreement between two parties.  The Old Covenant was given to Moses and the Jewish people after their deliverance from Egypt in Exodus 19:4-6.  It is through the 10 commandments that the people of God tried to be "good enough" and tried to obey the law, but failed.  With Jesus, all we need is to trust in Him and ask for forgiveness.  By trusting in Him, and loving Him, our hearts will change and doing the right thing will just come natural.

II. No Condemnation in Christ
- In Romans 8:1-8, Paul continued in his preaching about the relevance of Jesus' death and resurrection.  God knew, that with the Law, people were too weak spiritually to follow the commandments fully and receive righteousness but with Jesus, we were pardoned of our sins and justified.  At the same time, it gave us a new way for salvation.  We have a choice of staying condemned and separated with God or building a relationship and be with God.  One thing that is preventing us from living with God, is the desires and the lusts of this world.  We are blindsided with our desires to be richer and be the envy of our friends and families but as one of my favorite verses state in Mark 8:36:

"36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

- There are people in the world who have all the money that they need and they use their wealth to boast of their success and not glorify God.  Instead of helping their family members, friends, their neighbors, and their countrymen, they spend it to buy nice houses, cars, and branded purses and shoes (worth the food of a family for 3 months).  1 Timothy 5:6 reads "she who lives in pleasure is dead". We keep continuing to build our treasures in this world and forget about the treasures in heaven, which God would look at when the time comes.  Remember in Matthew 19:24,

"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.”

III. Proverbs for Today/ 4:7-10

7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading
Genesis 42:18-38, Genesis 43, and Psalms 18:16-36

20 Jan 13: Jesus Calls Matthew and/ The Struggle With Sin

**Read Matthew 9:9-13 and Romans 7:14-25

I.  Jesus Calls Matthew
- Matthew 9:9-13; tells the story of when Jesus called Matthew, a tax collector, to follow Him and be His disciple.  Tax collectors were not liked by people those days.  They became wealthy because they collected more taxes than what people actually owed and pocketed the extra for themselves. This is the reason why the Pharisees were shocked when they saw Jesus dining not just with one but many tax collectors and sinners. And when Jesus heard this, he said,

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance”.

With Matthew inviting Jesus, His disciples, and other tax collectors, to dine with him, it showed that Matthew knew of his imperfections and sins, and that it is the sinners who would more likely come to Jesus than "Pharisees" who think that they are religious and righteous.  Matthew, and the other tax collectors were one of the worst sinners in those times, but they owned up to their moral and spiritual impurities.  These are the people that Jesus came for.  He didn't come for the "healthy" but to the "sick".  He didn't come for the righteous but to those who are sinners.  Jesus came to save the robbers, prostitutes, adulterers, prison inmates, murderers, drug addicts, hopeless, and especially the atheist or non-believers.  In addition to Matthew-the tax collector, Jesus also called Simon-the riot starter, James and John-"the suns of thunder" (always angry), Peter-the denier, Judas Iscariot-the traitor.  We can see that Jesus did not call the perfect, righteous, religiousa, and the scholars to be His disciples.  Instead, he called the teachable, the believer, and the devoted.

We all need to be like Matthew, and recognize our own imperfections, sins, flaws, and character defects. If we can't admit that we are sinners and unrighteous, why would we need a savior who died for us.  Like Matthew, we must decide to leave behind worldly things that is keeping us from following Jesus Christ.

II. The Struggle With Sin
- In Romans 7:14-25, Paul preached about how he and others struggled with sin.  The Law was given for us to realize that we are sinners and unrighteous.  But even though, we have the Law and know the Law, we still choose not to follow it.   It is hard to be a Christian for we have to live the way of the Lord and not the way of the world.  There are things that your family or friends do that you do not accept because of your faith.  And this is a constant struggle to do the right thing or the wrong. We are always tempted and pressured to try new things and do what "others" are doing but we need to be strong and

"11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).

- Paul reminded us that whenever we are in a situation that we are thinking to do something evil in the eyes  of God, to pray and thank God for giving us his son, Jesus Christ, who gave us a way for salvation.

III. Proverbs for Today/4:1-6 (Security in Wisdom)

 1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 He also taught me, and said to me:

“ Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Genesis 39-40 and Psalms 17:1-15

19 Jan 13: Jesus Heals a Paralytic and/ God's Law Reveals Sin

**Read Matthew 9:1-8 and Romans 7:7-13

I. Jesus Heals a Paralytic
- Matthew 9:1-8; Jesus and his disciples just got back to His own city after getting request from residents of Gergesenes for him to leave. Jesus or "the word" is shared to us and we have the choice to either accept him or reject him. Jesus does not force His message to people and as we can see, the residents of Gergesenes were blindsided by their love of money and lost their opportunity to hear the good news.  When Jesus and disciples landed, men brought Him a paralytic to be healed.  Word has probably spread from all the healing and casting out of demons he has done in the past.  But instead of healing the paralytic man, Jesus said to him, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”  This is actually the first time we heard Jesus forgive someone their sins personally.  When some scribes heard this, they accused Jesus of blasphemy. Jesus, knowing what they were thinking, told them, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?  Jesus forgave the paralytic man first because this will show the crowd and the so-called "scholars of the Law" that he is indeed the son of God and he has divine authority to forgive sin.  After saying that to the scribes, he then healed the paralytic man.  When the crowd saw this, they were astonished and they glorified God.  Everyone of us came to this world already as sinners from Adam.  When the second man, Jesus, came to this world, he had one purpose, to save us for eternal damnation.  Remember Jesus died for us in the cross so He can heal our paralytic hearts.

II. God's Law Reveals Sin
- In Romans 7:7-13, Paul preached about how the Law and the Commandments are Holy, just, and good.    After all the teachings he said prior to this, the readers might come to a conclusion that the law is sin. Paul explained that without the law, people would not have known if they have sinned. Without the law, he wouldn't know that covetousness is a sin.  But, on the other hand, because of the law, Paul had more temptations and evil desires to actually commit sin.  I remembered when I was still a teenager in Sacramento that I used to go to parties all the time.  We all knew that drinking under 21 is against the law of the land but because it was illegal, made us drink more because of the excitement of breaking the law and not getting caught.  Some people commit adultery with the same excitement because their wives haven't found out after so many years and this also goes for serial killers, who becomes excited every time they kill, not get caught, and see it all over the news.  The Law was given by God as a good tool for us to know that we are sinners and come to Him but instead, people used it to develop evil desires to commit sin and stay away from God.

III. Proverbs for Today/3:33-35

33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.
34 Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

IV. Additional Old Testament Reading:
Genesis 39-40 and Psalms 17:1-15

18 Jan 13: Jesus' Power Over Nature and Demons and/ An illustration from Marriage

**Read Matthew 8:23-34 and Romans 7:1-6

I. Jesus' Power Over Nature and Demons 

- In Matthew 8:23-34, Jesus and his disciples where at sea when a storm arose.  The disciples were scared and pleaded to Jesus to save them.  This showed that the disciples had little faith in Jesus and they really didn't know who He was yet.  Just by a word, Jesus rebuked the storm and winds and instantly it was calm. After this, the disciples knew that Jesus was the son of God because he has control over nature.  Sometimes, we face problems that we really don't have a solution for. But instead of trusting God, we tend to find our solutions ourselves. We go to God as our last resort when we know that we, as man, can not do anything else. Remember in Proverbs 3:5-6,

"5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths."

- In verses 28-34, Jesus and his disciples landed in the country of the Gergesenes, where he was met by two-demon possessed men.  The demons knew who Jesus was, the son of God, so they begged Jesus to cast them out and let them go to the herd of swine (pigs).  When this happened, the whole herd ran of the into the sea and died.  We can see here that Jesus also had controls over. The demons already knew who he was without saying a word and what Jesus is capable of doing.    When the residents saw this, they told their neighbors what happened, but instead of praising Him and glorifying Him, they surprisingly begged him to leave.  The casting of demons costed the people their flock and their income. They were blinded with their livelihood that they could not see that the messiah is with them.  They valued their pigs more than the lives of the two demon-possessed men. Most of the time, we cannot experience Jesus because we love money more than life. Some people are even willing to trade their lives for money.  Remember that when we experience some financial hardships or any difficulties, let us keep our trust in God.  By trusting in Him, God will calm the storms in our lives and cast out demons around us.  

II. An illustration from Marriage

- In Romans 7:1-6, Paul used marriage to illustrate our relationship with the law.  When we are married, we are bounded by the law to be with our spouse forever and the only time you are allowed to divorce is if a partner commits adultery.  Other than that, you can only marry again when your partner dies.  Just like being a Christian, we used to be bounded by the law but when Christ died for us in the cross, we also died with him.  When Christ died for our sins, the law can no longer condemn us.  We used to be under the power of sin and this gave us guilt, sufferings, and separation from God.  With Christ's Resurrection, we are a new creation.  We are born again of the spirit and the Holy Spirit is now with us to guide us and live a righteous life.  We are either following Jesus or we are following sin, there is no in-between.  Being a Christian does not mean that we do not commit sin but we are no longer slaves of sin.  We have the power to resist the temptation with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We belong to God's family and we can show this by bearing good fruit.

III. Proverbs for Today/3:27-32
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“ Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
30 Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD,
But His secret counsel is with the upright.

IV. Old Testament Reading
Genesis 37-38 and Psalms 16:1-11

17 Jan 13: The Cost of Following Jesus and/ Slaves to Righteousness

**Read Matthew 8:18-22 and Romans 6:15-23

I. The Cost of Following Jesus

- Matthew 8:18-22 is a passage about what it really means to follow Jesus Christ.  Following Christ is not easy.  It's not just going to church, giving tithes, reading the bible, praying all the time or being nice.  Being Christian is a full devotion and complete surrender to follow Jesus and His ways. And when I said complete surrender, this is a command to leave everything behind. Remember in Matthew 4:18-22, Jesus called four fishermen : Andrew, Peter, James, John to leave their nets, and follow him. They did not hesitate and instantly left their livelihood and their families behind to be His disciples.

- The scribe who told Jesus that he'll follow Him where He goes was discouraged after learning that he'll lose all the luxuries of his life if he did follow Jesus.  Not knowing where he'll sleep or what food to eat scared him away.  He knew that Jesus was the messiah but he because the scribe didn't know the real purpose of Christ in the world, he thought that Jesus will soon be the king and rule over Israel.  He thought that Jesus will get all the riches or treasures in this world associated to a King.  So when Jesus said that he does not even have a home, the scribe backed down from the offer and showed that he was not ready to leave his good life, his nice home, great food, and all the other comforts that he has.   By following Jesus, we might have to give away our money, cars, houses, and other comforts in life.  But we should not be alarmed, for these are all material things that will go away and turn back to ashes but the treasures that we store in heaven are eternal.

- In verses 21-22, one of the disciples asked Jesus if he can take some time off so he can bury his father but Jesus replied, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead".  Some might think that this was a harsh response, but remember that this person was supposed to be already a disciple.  He might not be one of the twelve but nonetheless, he had already committed to follow Jesus and his ministry.  When he accepted the calling, he probably didn't know that following Jesus involves leaving everything, even his family, behind.  He didn't realize that following Jesus means loving Jesus more than his father, mother, siblings, and wife and children if he had them.

- This is very important because sometimes we finally make the decision to follow Jesus but when a time comes that it starts interfering with our daily routines, we tend to go on a different route and go back to our old ways.  By following Jesus we would need to give up our vices (partying, getting drunk, immorality), our riches, our friends, and maybe our families.  How many have given up their desire to follow Jesus because of fear of friends making fun and laughing at you.  How many have put their faith aside because of fear of rejection of their own family member, and fear of what your mother or father will say if you become a Christian.  Remember that our salvation is a personal choice and the gates to heaven is very narrow.  We can only depend on our decision if we want to enter the Kingdom of God.

- We need to make a decision now.  Are we supposed to hide our faith from our friends and families so we can please them or "not hurt them", or are we supposed to follow our faith in Jesus because this is what God wants us to do to gain righteousness.  This is your decision to make, to live with the world and suffer death or live with God, and gain eternity.

II. Slaves to Righteousness
- In Romans 6:15-23, Paul reminded us that we are now under the grace of God and not under law.  But even though we are no longer under law, this does not mean that we can keep commuting sin.  By committing sin, we would be then be slaves of sin, and we all know that sin leads to destruction and death.  Therefore, instead of death, we should be slaves of righteousness, be slaves of God so we can gain eternal life.  When we used to be under the Law, we followed the Law because basically, it is the Law and you will get punished if you do not obey it.  But now that we are born again of the spirit, our hearts have been changed to obey God's commands not because we will be punished, but because we love Him and we have devoted our lives to Him.  In verse 19, Paul acknowledged that we are weak and not perfect and will sin again.   Temptations are everywhere, haunting us at all times, but as Christians, we cannot live as if we are still under the power of sin.  We need to change our old habits, give up drunkenness, sexual immoralities, and lawlessness and instead live the life of righteousness so we can inherit the Kingdom of God.

III. Proverbs for Today

21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
23 Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

IV. Old Testament Reading
Genesis 35-36 and Psalms 15:1-5

Prayer:  Father God, we pray to you today as members of your family.  Father, we know that it is hard to follow Jesus and you require us to give up all the earthly things behind so we pray that you give us the strength and the power over sin and temptation.  We pray that you give us guidance so we can give up our old habits(the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride) and continue to live the life of righteousness for we know that if we continue with sin, we will have death, but if we live with righteousness, we will have eternal life. In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen.