June 2019

 June 2

The parable of the Shrewd Manager is addressed to the disciples and paints the picture of the responsibilities that believers have before God in regards to their lives and their ministries. The manager was an administrator in a king’s or a rich person’s court. The parable mentions the fact that an accusation about the manager was brought to his master, and the Greek word accuse (or “tattle”) is formed from the noun “diabolos” = “devil”. The accusation was that the manager had wasted his master’s wealth and possessions. The reaction of the master was correct: he called in the manager to give an account – “What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management…” (Luke 16:2). The manager asked responsibly, “What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job”, but it was he still who answered, “I know what I will do”. The solution he found was appreciated by the master. The master praised the manager for investing his earthly possessions wisely with the purpose of promoting the interests of God’s Kingdom.
In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul explains the responsibility of a servant: “This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful”. The word Paul used in this passage was also used at that time for the slaves who worked in the galleys. The galley was a type of war or commercial ship, powered by sails and ropes usually handled by slaves or those condemned and was used until the 18th century, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. When Paul made this comparison he intended to explain what type of people needed to be the managers of God’s mysteries.
1. THEIR IDENTITY – servants for life. They belonged to the master, they were not free people. Moses, Abraham, Paul, Jacob, Peter… were called servants of God. Servants were available to their masters their entire lives and did only what the master demanded.
2. THEIR ACTIVITY – they worked in unity. The master who was at the helm of the ship decided upon the direction and the rhythm of the ship, using a giant drum with which he imposed the rhythm of the paddles. When people are led by the same Spirit, they cannot do different things, “from him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16). We are the limbs, the relationships we have with others are the ligaments.
3. THEIR METHOD – they work under authority. The principle of spiritual authority is the foundation in His kingdom. The Devil stepped on this authority, wanting to be “like the Almighty”, and Adam and Eve stepped on it wanting to be “like God”.
4. THEIR REGIMENT – they work despite the conditions. Both in riches and in poverty, Job was faithful to the Lord.
5. THEIR PURPOSE – all the honor belongs to the ship’s captain. John the Baptist said, “He must become greater, I must become less” (John 3:30).
Are we good managers? Do we manage with passion and sacrifice for the honor of our eternal Master?

 June 9

The Feast of Pentecost, of Weeks (Exodus 34:22), or of Harvest (Exodus 23:16) is one of the feasts in the Jewish calendar. The Pentecost was the feast of the fall agricultural season when the crop was harvested, a commemoration that reminded Jews about the receiving of the Law through Moses on Mount Sinai three months after being released from the Egyptian bondage. For this reason, at the Feast of Pentecost, the Jews read in the synagogue the Ten Commandments and the Book of Ruth. The Israelites had three great feasts: Passover, The Weeks, and The Tents (Ex. 23:17). All men 13 years old and over attended these holy gatherings by a pilgrimage to the Temple of Jerusalem, where they worshiped, brought sacrifices, and sang songs of thanksgiving in honor of God. After 40 years of traveling through the wilderness, the Jews entered Canaan and gave new meanings to their feasts, according to the agricultural seasons.

About 1200 years later, these feasts are fulfilled in the great events of God's salvation through Christ. Thus, the Savior is captured, condemned, and crucified during the Passover Feast, when the harvest began and the wheat was cut off. Fifty days later, God's Holy Spirit descends into the renewed hearts of the disciples during the Feast of Weeks / Harvest.

During the Pentecost, Peter preached to the crowd of Jews assembled to see the wonder of God, telling them that this was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, which they all awaited (Joel 2:28-29). It is easy to notice that Peter, who used to hide for fear of the Jews during the crucifixion of the Savior, now publicly confronts the Jews, receiving a supernatural boldness through the Holy Spirit who descended upon the apostles. Guided by the Holy Spirit, he preaches the Gospel, explaining how one can become part of God`s Church.

1. Repentance: "Repent, said Peter".

2. Baptism in water: "be baptized, every one of you".

3. Baptism with the Holy Spirit: "you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit".

Looking at Luke's report in Acts, we note that he specifies the mission of the Spirit in the ministry of the apostles:

1. Empowerment: "You will receive the power".

2. The timeline of the empowerment: "when the Holy Spirit comes upon you".

3. The purpose: "you will be witnesses in Jerusalem... to the ends of the earth". 

The descent of the Holy Spirit transforms the apostles, as they go to the Jews to preach the gospel, and it transforms the Jews, as they come to the apostles to receive the Word. Pentecost is the feast of the application of God's salvation, of the empowerment of the Church for ministry.

 June 16

The family was established by God for the joy and blessing of man. It achieves its full purpose and potential when it is formed according to the divine ordinances. Abraham is presented in the Bible as the "friend of God," the man about whom the Creator made the following statement: "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him" (Gen. 18:18-19). Looking at the way his son Isaac got married, we will understand how the patriarchs marry their children.
I. A WIFE MUST BE SOUGHT AFTER
Eliezer was Abraham`s trustworthy servant, an elderly and skilled man who was sent to seek a wife for his son Isaac. Although marriage is ordained by God, the young man must seek his bride, just as "the daily bread" is given by God yet man must gain it through his labor. From Abraham`s example, we notice that a good wife must be sought in a particular place, not just anywhere. The Canaanites were pagan people under the curse of God, which is why their daughters were not an option for Isaac. Abraham knew that only a good marriage would make Isaac`s mission successful. Abraham knew from his own experience that the wife is the person who has the greatest influence on her husband`s life.
II. THE HUSBAND MUST BE GUIDED

Being old and experienced in life, Eliezer prays insistingly before God to guide him in the choice of the bride, and he sets a sign before the Creator. The sign he chose was not random, but, on the contrary, it had the purpose of identifying the girl's character: diligence, politeness, hospitality, kindness and compassion. The Bible also portrays Isaac as a young man who was godly, quiet, and concerned with holy things. A good man like Isaac needed a good wife like Rebeca.

III. THE PARENTS MUST BE CONSULTED
Both sets of parents were involved in Isaac's marriage to Rebekah. Not friends, colleagues, or neighbors should be consulted when choosing a life companion, but parents. The first thing Eliezer asked Rebecca was: "Whose daughter are you?" As soon as Rebecca learned about Eliezer's mission, she went home to tell her parents and consult with them. The parents also consulted with their daughter and had an open and sincere conversation with Eliezer. When patriarchs marry their children, they follow the principles of God. When patriarchs` children follow their example and counsel, they make wise choices and become patriarchs themselves.

  June 23

God is the protector and sustainer of the family. He presents the family as an ideal relationship that offers peace and happiness. The Bible explains the fact that the family is a profound state of friendship and unity, being the only legal relationship between a man and a woman.
I. The model of the relationship between husband and wife is the relationship between Christ and the Church.
The Apostle Paul compares the relationship between husband and wife with the spiritual relationship between Christ and the Church. In both types of relationships, he speaks of investment and benefits. There is no investment in the world with a bigger profit and more stability than God’s investment through Jesus Christ.
II. The spouses have the responsibility to invest everything in their families.
a) The husband, similar to Christ who loves His Church, needs to love his wife. The presence of love will bring joy to the couple, in other words friendship, unity, and great peace. The absence of love will bring indifference and from there separation, infidelity, and division. The family is a unique type of relationship and love is the basic fuel. The spouses may not condition their love towards each other because they will auto-eliminate themselves in doing so.
b) The wife, like the Church, needs to be submissive. The presence of submission will bring a lot of force to the family, while the absence of submission will produce competition, independence, and from there conflict, separation, and emotional or even physical distance. The quality of the husband is actually greatly dependent on the measure of respect he receives from his wife.
III. Happiness is the result of a responsible and consistent investment.
   The indifference of the husband produces a lot of uncertainty in the wife and finally desperation. As a normal reaction, she will become frustrated, scared, and tempted to no longer respect her husband. The love of the husband encourages submissiveness in the wife and vice versa, but each of them should be unconditional. Sometimes, her attitude of ungratefulness, nagging and lack of respect is the way she tries to reclaim the absence of his love. The love of the husband, the submission of the wife, are first of all, between them and God and then between the two of them.
   These observations help us understand that the principles of business are also valid in the family life. In the family, just like in business, investment brings benefit. In the case of the family the investment of the husband is love, and in the case of the wife the investment is submission. This investment brings results: friendship and unity, which lead to peace and happiness. The happiness of a family depends on the contribution of both spouses, his love, her submission are the two most important things in marriage.

June 30

Forgiveness reflects the character of God and of His children and is the manifestation of love, goodness, and understanding. Forgiveness does not mean accepting, encouraging, or forgiving guilt, but simply not considering it and releasing the guilty party from any guilt. Forgiveness is received from God by faith, and it is offered to others by love, and these two influence each other. God does not forgive a person for a mistake he regrets unless that person also forgives those who wrong him and regret it. The Savior forgave those who tortured and crucified Him and, later, His disciple, Stephen, followed His example. The proof that someone is the disciple of Jesus is not given only by his speech but also his work which must resemble His works. How difficult it must have been for Stephen to forgive those vengeful revengers who, for no real reason, stoned him to death...
Forgiveness has no explanation; it is divine, it is the initiative of God and it expresses His character. Forgiveness cannot be deserved, it cannot be paid, it is a gift of God`s love and goodness. God's forgiveness is the motivation of any Christian to forgive the guilty person, whether he is a family member or a stranger. God first forgave us when we were away from Him, strangers to His gospel, and then He continues to forgive us as His children redeemed by faith in Jesus. The only excuse for not forgiving the one who is guilty is malice, hatred and enmity but such an excuse accuses you. A person must be forgiven by the one whom he wronged when he truly asks for forgiveness, without considering the attitude of the forgiver, for the guilty cannot do anything else but ask for forgiveness.
Should the guilty person ask for forgiveness for his mistake or should he simply be forgiven? The correct answer is found in the attitude of God. Does God forgive the sin of a man who does not repent, who does not confess his sin specifically, with regret and with the desire not to repeat it again? The answer is NO. Can we be better than God? Granting forgiveness is based on the petition for forgiveness. Granting forgiveness is done after it is petitioned and cheap forgiveness lays the basis for the mistake to be repeated.
Forgiveness is the method of restoring the demolition produced by guilt, both between man and man and between man and God. Asking for forgiveness must be the expression of regret (repentance of the mind), the expression of remorse (repentance of feelings) and the expression of renunciation (repentance of will). Such a petition for forgiveness is always accepted by God and must also be accepted by man, regardless of the nature or magnitude of the damage done. Likewise, such a petition for forgiveness not only satisfies the injured party and makes him forgive, but also humiliates the guilty party enough to avoid repeating the mistake. If pain did not hurt, no one would be avoiding it, so asking for forgiveness must hurt. The injured person has no right not to forgive because he considers that the petition for forgiveness was not accompanied by enough regret, remorse, and renouncing the mistake; only God has the right and the ability to judge thoughts and feelings; we humans have the right and ability to judge the visible deeds and the spoken words. "The hidden things belong to God, the revealed things belong to men," said Moses in Deuteronomy. So forgive in order to be forgiven.