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Week:02, Season:1,
2013
Posted on Saturday by PCT
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“Ling”sanity
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Scripture：《
Luke 3:15-17,21-22
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3：21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
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15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16 John answered them all, ‘I baptise you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’ 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
21 When all the people were being baptised, Jesus was baptised too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’
Linsanity
Looking back on what Jeremy Lin, the American Taiwanese NBA professional player has achieved and the so called “Linsanity” performance, it was truly a miracle. At the game in February 2012, Jeremy Lin scored 25 points and 7 assists which broke NBA records and made him famous in one night. The second game he played in the same year made his fame spread out the entire USA. After his third game in 2012, Jeremy Lin was listed in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The US media gave Jeremy the title “Linsanity (Lin+sanity)” with a purpose of sarcasm to describe the performance of Jeremy Lin is nothing more than insanity. However, with persistence and strength and the help of God, Lin has proved that he is for real. The word “Linsanity“ has become a trademark and brought Lin a considerable income to Lin. This is surely a big surprise to those who teased him at the outset.
“Johnsanity”
John the Baptist in the Bible was born in a priest’s family belonging to the tribe of Levi. He wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He preached in the wilderness and shouted, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” Seemingly, this man who looked a bit insane made people from whole Judea and Jerusalem walk into the wilderness and were prepared to receive his Baptism. Even some of the tax collectors who were covetous about money came and asked him to baptise them. The Roman soldiers and even villains who extorted money from ordinary people all came to ask John the Baptist to wash out their sins. We can say that John the Baptist who created such fame is truly a phenomenon of “John-sanity.” John taught these sinners harsh lessons, asked them to repent and preached the Gospel to them. He even publicly condemned the dissolute behaviour of Herod.
Such a brave man John continued to call people to repent their sins and receive the Baptism until Jesus came to the River Jordan also accept his Baptism. John the Baptist said he was not even worthy to untie the sandals of the Messiah. He said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me… For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” (John 1:15-18) John the Baptist had no doubt of the identity of this “cousin Jesus.” The only doubt he had was that the Son of God who came to forgive all of our sins still came to the river Jordan where many sinners gathered and asked to receive the Baptism. Was this Jesus also insane?
“Jesusanity”
Last Sunday was Epiphany; the first Sunday after Epiphany is the celebration of “the Baptism of the Lord.” Why did the precious Jesus also need to be baptised? Is it because Jesus also sinned? Is it because Jesus also needs to repent?
Let us skip the theological explanation about this question whereas Jesus has answered, “it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.” (Matthew 3:15) Jesus was not insane at all. He clearly knew that by doing so was to obey and respond to God’s request and fulfil all righteousness. Jesus receiving baptism does not show that he is a sinner but demonstrates that he “recognises” sinners. As the prophet Isaiah said, “Because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12) We can witness that “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.”(Hebrew 4:15)
The Baptism of Lord is to remember the obedience Jesus gave to God and his mercy to sinners. While these requirements are fulfilled, a stunning picture is made and firstly presented in the Bible: the Trinity God of the Father, the Son and the Spirit. Somehow this is just the beginning of a profound story of saving souls.
“Ling”sanity*
25 years ago, the former president of Taiwan R.O.C passed away and his vice president Lee Teng-hui succeeded him. Both former presidents were baptised. Although the comments from different fields to them are far different, they still left various contributions to Taiwan. Those who have power, from parents to government politicians, sometimes for sustaining their power and keeping e face, even doing wrong they rarely admit. It requires courage and also the encouragement from the Holy Spirit to admit our mistakes.
John the Baptist said, “I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11) The Holy Spirit helps people to recognise their sins; the Holy Spirit helps people to be cut to the heart; the Holy Spirit helps people to repent their sins, for righteousness and for the judgement. Every day there are tens of thousands of people repenting and accepting Jesus. The number of Christians and churches in Taiwan are increasing too. Some people heard the faith testimony of Jeremy Lin and came to church and even accepted baptism. For Jesus, the baptism was just a beginning; more importantly and also the hardest work Jesus did was to develop lives to follow God and to grow in the Spirit.
John the Baptist was not able to live until Jesus’s resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit poured into the Church as he was killed by Herod. When he was still in his mother’s womb, he was already filled by the Spirit so he knew the identity and mission of Jesus Christ coming to the world. I wish all of us are able to experience and agree with what John said to us, “Out of his fullness, we have all received grace in place of grace already given.”
*”Ling” is the pronunciation of the word “Spirit” in Mandarin.
For discussions:
1. Refer to Roman 10:9 and think: Should all of Jesus’ believers be baptised?
2. What is the meaning of “being baptised” to you? What do you need to do after being baptised?
Please pray for:
1. For more Taiwanese Christians to stand on the world stage to win lost souls for Jesus.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to help us admit our wrong-doing (repentance), take responsibilities (identity) and carry on his work (mission).
Prayers:
Trinity God, we give thanks for the increase of the number of Christians in Taiwan. We truly are joyful for each person who repents with a sincere heart. May brothers and sisters baptised in your name all build a heart of unity from the Holy Spirit and to let the whole world see they are your disciples. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.
Something you can do:
1. Share the life witness of Jeremy Lin with a friend who does not believe in God.
2. Invite those who seek the truth to church; pray for them and encourage them to receive baptism.
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Obey Your Mother
John 2:1-11
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’4 ‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied. ‘My hour has not yet come.’ 5 His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from eighty to a hundred and twenty litres. 7 Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’ They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realise where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, ‘Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’ 11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
The overture of miracles
The date of the inauguration of the President of the United States has occurred on 20th January ever since 1933. At the outset, the only inauguration element was simply that the President made an oath or affirmation before he was able to "enter on the Execution" of the office of the presidency. However, over the years, various traditions have arisen that have expanded the inauguration to a day-long event, including parades, speeches, and balls.
The very first miracle done by Jesus is written in the Bible passage we are reading today. Following the Bible verses it seems this miracle was not planned by God or was what Jesus would intended to do. Jesus replied to his mother Mary, saying, “‘Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.” Jesus’ mother heard this and then wisely advised the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Without any conflicts and quarrels, a miracle which Jesus did not intend, happened quietly and was beyond everyone’s expectation. Although we may not know how God felt about this miracle, we do know that Jesus made a choice: to obey his mother!
A discordant passage
Among the presidents of the United States, the first African American president, Barack Hussein Obama II also had a wise mother, Ann Dunham. She was born into a white American family. Her father was employed in the furniture trade. After Ann finished her high school degree, her family moved to Hawaii where at the University of Hawaii she met an African American student from Kenya, Barack Obama. They fell in love, got married and gave birth to Obama II. At the time, there were still many states with laws prohibiting the marriage of black and white people. It is not difficult to imagine what pressures Ann was under when making her decision to marry.
When Obama was 2 years old, his father started PhD studies at Harvard University but the marriage was in difficulty and finally led to divorce. Ann did not lose her courage but brought up Obama II as a single parent. She also went back to university to complete her degree even though she had financial problems and needed to rely on government benefits. President Obama recalled, “Back in that time the situation of a single mother who had a mixed race child was very difficult. A single mother could be full of anger and hatred but my mother never brought negative feelings to me. She never complained but was always full of positive thoughts.”
When Obama was 6 years old, Ann married a student from Indonesia, Lolo Soetoro and moved to the suburbs area of Jakarta. Ann and Obama became the first foreigners living in that area. Surviving in a strange land which lacked material wealth, Ann learned to ride a motorbike to cope with working in the countryside. Gradually she and Obama established friendships with local people and she also helped women and the poor. Although the family budget was tight, Ann still highly valued education for her child. She woke up at 4 a.m. every day to teach Obama via courses provided by American radio stations. She always kept an open mind to Islamic culture and racism in Indonesia which helped in building Obama’s liberal but firm Christian faith.
In order to receive quality education, Ann sent Obama back to Hawaii while he was 10 to live with his grandparents. A few years later, Ann herself chose to study Anthropology at the University of Hawaii. Following this she returned to Indonesia for research purposes where she promoted and assisted women’s employment and microfinance to the poor which was very effective. Since then she was able to help over 30 billion poor people in Indonesia. In her spare time, Ann continued her studies and was finally awarded her PhD at the age of 49. She was still engaged in work to help disadvantaged groups in South Asia and Africa.
Beautiful melody
Reviewing Ann’s life, everyone would admire her as a mother with wisdom and generosity. She travelled to different parts of the world with her son in many difficult environments. Even under the pressure of sexism, racism, conflicts of religions and cultures, she always set an example to her children. She was the best life mentor for her children. Ann’s way of fearing God, pursuing her dreams, making changes, caring for society and being loving is the most vital element to influence Obama to have a positive and open mind! When Obama joined the campaign for the presidential election his demands were for: “Hope, change, empathy!” Isn’t it obvious that Obama also made the same choice Jesus did: to obey his mother!
The success of President Obama can be contributed to his mother’s influence. She is the person who made a vital impact on his life. Perhaps we do not have the same parents as this but at least we can make an effort to learn that “obedience is blessing” and encourage ourselves to learn from Ann Dunham’s strength and wisdom, the aim of which was not to develop her son as President of the United States. In fact, 14 years after Ann passed away, the fact that her son Obama became the first African American President of the United States was something Ann never anticipated. What we should value is how a mother/father’s belief in God can bring unexpected changes to this world.
Countless resonance
Cana was an inconspicuous place but Jesus chose to perform his first miracle here and also the second one. Whatever challenges we are facing in life: a broken marriage, economic constraints, difficulty in surviving or in acclimatization, religious oppression…etc. we can always invite Jesus to enter our heart and remember what Jesus’ mother said, “Do whatever he tells you.” Obey the mother’s word and I believe the miracle will happen in you and me!
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For discussion：
1. Do you like miracles? What does the first miracle done by Jesus mean to you?
2. What is the inspiration Obama’s mother has brought to you?
Please pray for：
1. For how you have listened to your mother’s words in the past. Pray to God for it.
2. For strangers and single-parent families you know.
Prayer：
Miracle Lord, thank you for listening to our prayers when we need you. May each miracle demonstrate your will and glorify your name. Please help me to serve those who need my care and help. May the miracles happen to those who believe. In the name of Christ, Amen.
Something you can do：
1. Try to read the book of John and find miracles and Bible characters related to Cana. How do they relate?
2. Invite a new immigrant family or a single-parent family to dinner or give them blessings. Invite them to know Jesus and pray for them.
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