Today's Reading: Luke 3: 10-20
**For a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please click this link: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf.
Please click this link to read Luke 3: 10-20
Bible Study
Today's passage tells us about how John the Baptist told people what to do if they really wanted to produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Very simple:
1. No greedy but to share: People say "greed" is the drive to make this modern world going. See how all those coupons works? If you scratch and have three identical cars then you can get a new car. If you have so and so points then you can get a 60 inches TV. Wow, then people scratch and scratch, buy and buy. John pointed that out to us we don't like to share because we are greedy. We want to have more and do not care whether other people do not even have food to eat! Are you a greedy guy? How much do you want to share? How much do you want to give?
2. No bully but be content: Bullying is almost the worst thing people do on earth. Quite a number of people committed suicide because they were being bullied and did not know how to face with that kind of bullying. Here John talked about how those Roman soldiers use their authority to bully other people. How could they be content not to bully or cheat other people? How can we be content and not to bully anyone in any possible way? That's the question!
So, do you think you can produce fruit in keeping with your repentance?
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage of scripture we have just read. Offer this time up to Jesus as you listen to him, while listening to "Gabriel's Oboe"
Spiritual Journal
What I heard from Jesus today is: No greedy but to share! No bully but to be content!
What I received today from Jesus is a clue to our everyday lifestyle of Christlikeness. Greed is such an obvious lifestyle to so many people. You have a 40 inches TV then you are thinking of having a 60 inches one. You have a 1,500 sq. ft. townhouse or apartment then you are thinking of having a 3,000 sq. ft. house. We want to have more, more and more! Richer becomes richer and poorer becomes poorer. How can we change this lifestyle? I have been trying my best to change this kind of "greedy" lifestyle since I got my first credit card in 1980 and still working very hard. Not easy! How about you?
About bullying, I think you would not think that you have a part in it, right? But to look at the example of what John the Baptist was talking about, it is our misuse of our power and authority to oppress someone. I don't want to give any examples here because all those examples I can think of or what I have been bullied by some people were very dark and painful. And now when I think of those painful experiences of those people who bullied me are those who were not content in their lives. John said it well that if we can be content of what we have then we won't bully or cheat anyone.
How can you be more content because you have Jesus with you daily and be filled by the Holy Spirit daily? How can you share and give more because you are more and more Christlike?
Dear Lord Jesus,
Lead us to be able to be content and to be willing to share and give more and more. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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