Spending Time Wisely in this Covid-19 Crisis

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV)
Walk in Wisdom
15 See then that you walk [a]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16 (NLT)
15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

The bible mentioned two kinds of path or roads of life, the worldly path and God's path.

The worldly path, which many choose and walk through it, but this road will lead to destruction or judgement, and God's path where only few goes through, because it's narrow and hard yet leads to a true life (eternal life).

It was mentioned in Matthew 7:13-14 
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

In verse 15 of our text, Paul encourages us to walk wisely, which means that we should choose God's path, it's narrow and hard, yes we will encounter trials and tribulations but it will lead us to the true life in Christ.

How do we live wisely?

1. By our wise choices/decisions.

The parable of Jesus in Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

This text reveals that those people who listens, study and apply God's word are living wisely.

God's word is our life manual, without it is like living without meaning, purpose and direction.

We can only be assured that the outcome of our decisions will be for our advantage and glorifies God, if we will seek guidance from the word of God.

2 Timothy 3:16
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness,


2. By using our time wisely. Do not be Idle or Lazy.

Proverbs 6:6-11
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard!
Consider her ways and be wise,
7 Which, having no [a]captain,
Overseer or ruler,
8 Provides her [b]supplies in the summer,
And gathers her food in the harvest.
9 How long will you [c]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.

Paul encourages to make use of our time wisely because we're living in the last days, the Lord Jesus Christ will return unexpectedly, and we have to be vigilant always and do the things that He want's us to do.

In this global pandemic, we're tempted to be Idle, meaning we're not making most of our time (redeeming our time), we're contented with sitting, relaxing and socializing online. We want a lazy mode always that affects our relationship with God as well.

As God's people we need to spend more time asking God on how we can be productive with our time, specially our time on God's word and church activities online.

We should continue God's work in anyway possible. The enemy can destroy our walk in Christ in so many ways, this includes using the global pandemic to choke and paralyze our spiritual walk.

Set your priorities properly, and invest your time and effort on the most important things. Number 1 in our priority list, is our relationship with Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 4:3, Itching Ears

2 Timothy 4:3 (NKJV)
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Paul was concern that after his death, that many will follow false gospel, false teaching of the word of God.

First concern:
(For the flock, the hearer of the word of God)

There will come a time that, people will get tired of hearing the true gospel, the true preaching of the word of God and will abandoned it and will turn to false teachings that 
suits their own desires, to what their inching ears want to hear.

Itching ears - the Greek translation of "ears" refers to the inner spiritual hearing, which means turning their spiritual hearing of God's word (Bible) from the Apostles teaching(correct) to error/corrupt/false teaching (brought by their own desires).

Paul used this term on Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

People will turn their ears or listen to preaching/teaching that suits their needs, according to their own desires.
Instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to minister through His word, the correct teaching of the word of God, they choose what they want to understand and hear.

Personal preference(The way you want it) over God's preference for us.

e.g.
People wants financial prosperity, so they turn their ears/listen to preachers teaches prosperity gospel. 

1. I'm not going to listen to these particular passage because it's not applicable for me, or I'm not like that.

2. It doesn't fit my personality so I will not listen to the word of God.
What a boring preacher I'm not going to listen to the word of God. Focusing on the preacher not on the word being preached.

3. I don't understand the word being preach because I know that persons life.
Prosperity preacher, seeker sensitive church movement - focuses on what the people wants to hear instead of preaching the word of God without bias.

- While it's good to find a good source preaching/teaching of the word of God, but given the opportunity that the word is being preached, be sure to make the most of it.
  Focus on the word of God and seek God how the word being preached will be applicable to you.

- Don't just listen if the word of God is applicable to you or not, but every word of God should be learned, whether easy or hard to understand.

One writer said that: "This is to be expected when the gospel message begins with a humbling, difficult thought"

John 6:50-60 (NKJV)
50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is [a]food indeed, and My blood is [b]drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a [c]hard saying; who can understand it?”

Second concern:
(For the Shepherd/Preacher who handles the word of God)

1 Timothy 4:1
4 Now the Spirit [a]expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
(Both the preacher and listeners of the word) can be deceived by the deceiving spirit that's in the time.

The person handling the word of God should study diligently and ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit always and not be tempted to go after the preferences of the hearer.

In the IT world, the preferences of user or people are used for marketing, which means if you know what people wants then you can find ways to attract them to buy your products and services.

And I think this is what's happening in most churches, they're turning churches into circular businesses.
From a non-profit organization to profitable institutions.

That is why we're seeing churches that are called "Seeker sensitive church", because preachers go after what the people wants.
Instead of trusting the power of God to move people lives through His word. These churches depend on the power of their programs to lure people going to their churches.
These kind of churches are not concerned about the quality of the believers, but only the quantity (the more members or people go in, the better the tights and offerings)

Again, I'm not saying that all programs (like events, gatherings, leveraging the IT, etc.) are bad for churches. God can used some ideas to bring people into true repentance into salvation and nurturing of the flock.

We can also apply what Paul charged to Timothy on how we should handle the word of God, in verse 2.

2 Timothy 4:2-4 (NIV)
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

"Preach the word" - Preach/teach the correct interpretation of the word of God. It may involve doing some research to good sources of people and materials.
Be prepared and ready always to preach the word, use the word of God not only to encourage but correct and rebuke, but do these with great patience and care.

Different Kinds of Faith in the Bible

Some scholars and writers have listed more kinds of faith, but I listed only 5. I also added some bible verses as reference. All kinds of faith are a gift from God and must be apply.

1. Saving Faith
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

A faith that caused a person to be born-again(not a religion) in the spirit and be part of God's family of believers.

2. Active Faith
James 2:18
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without [a]your works, and I will show you my faith by [b]my works.

If a person is genuinely saved, the saving faith will manifest in obedience to God's word and righteousness dependent in God's grace.


3. Temporary Faith
Luke 8:13
13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of [a]temptation fall away.

A faith that is not enduring, and not rooted in the grace of God.
When temptation and hardship comes this kind of faith will not last.

4. Little Faith
Matthew 8:26
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Matthew 14:31
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Doubt hinders faith, and hinders the work of the Lord. This faith can be exercise to make it grow.

5. Strong Faith
Mark 11:23
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

A kind of faith that is constantly being practiced and seasoned with the grace of God to do great and mighty things for the Lord.

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus - Mark 10:46-52

Mark 10:46-52 (NKJV)

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 

47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.

Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”

50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

The blind man said to Him, [a]“Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has [b]made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

The story can be found also in Matthew 20:29-34 and in Luke 18:35-43,

though there are differences but it doesn't mean that they contradict each other. It is possible that the authors are focusing on different areas of the story. 

Like in our passage (Mark 10:46-52) the blind man was named or identified as (Bartimaues the son of Timaeus) by the author and both in Luke and Matthew only (blind man) was mentioned.

In Matthew 20:20 the author mentions of two blind men while the book of Mark and Luke mentions only one.

But if we study the entire context it is obvious that the authors mean the same story.

1. The importance of corporate prayer, having believers with same or similar circumstances can encourage each other and help in prayer. 

The blind men are in the same situation and they cried out to God for the deliverance of their present situation. Acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the messiah or savior "Son of David" - one of the many titles associated with messiah or savior.

2. Persistent with our prayers and not give up easily.

In our Christian walk, one of the area that is very challenging is our prayer life.

The devil knows that is our powerful weapon against them, and this is the way we communicate with God. In prayer we can communicate to God, our needs, plans, desires, worship and thanksgiving.

The devil knows how important prayer, that's why he always hinders it, by putting us in a situation where we cherish sins (unconfessed sins) in our hearts, Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.

- Prayers with wrong motive, not in God's will

James 4:3

3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

- Unloved wife

1 Peter 3:7

7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

And other times the devil can delay the answer to our prayers:

Daniel 10:12-14

12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

And that's why we need to be vigilant of the enemies schemes, and consider prayer as a need for our spiritual growth.

"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." - Martin Luther

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?" - Corrie ten Boom

God commanded us not only to be persistent with our prayers but to pray always also.

Luke 18:1-8 (NKJV)

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor [a]regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, [b]‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will [c]avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ "

6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing,

Bartimaues cried out to Jesus, but was stopped by the people, but he persisted and cried out again before Jesus called him out.

Also, in every situation that God allows in our life is an exercise to increase our faith.

In Jesus miracles one element is always present and that is faith.

3. Always acknowledge, praise, and thanks to God.

What ever answered prayer or everything that happens to us (good or bad) we should

always acknowledge God in praise and thanksgiving.

Not only they received their sight physically, but most important is their spiritual eyes were opened and they saw the truth and salvation which Jesus Christ. 

Matthew 20:34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

Salvation is now, not later!

2 Corinthians 6:2 (NKJV)
2 For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvatio

The moment Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth passing by, He didn't wait for a minute, he begun to call on Jesus for mercy. Verse 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And the same with our lives, If we hear or read that word of God we should not delay our response. Because the opportunity might not come again!

Friends, the situation of the blind men are no different from our spiritual condition.

If we don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we are spiritually blind, we don't see the truth, the absolute truth.

We are hopeless and helpless, and we need Jesus Christ to make us see the truth, the absolute truth that He alone is our savior and Lord.

Resurrection Sunday

The greatest evidence for us Christian is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We believe everything about Jesus Christ because Jesus was risen from the dead.
It's God's approval that salvation genuine (for those who believe in Him will have eternal life).

1 Corinthians 15:16-19
16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have [a]fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

If there is a way to destroy Christianity then you have to prove that the resurrection of Jesus Christ didn't happen.

And there have been attempts disproving the Resurrection.
To prove that Jesus really died and wasn't risen from the dead, that his bones are still in his tomb.

One is from the first resurrection Sunday,

Matthew 28:11-15
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Recently, the Director of the famous movies Titanic and Avatar, James Cameron, He claimed to have found the bones of Jesus Christ, it maybe the greatest discovery but an fatal blow to the Christians.

The bones were actually discovered by a construction worker from a tomb with the inscription "Jesua, son of Joseoph, Mary, Matthew, Jofa and Judah, son of Jesua".

However, the archaeologists who uncovered the tomb found no connection to Jesus other than the name similarities.
But James Cameron's team insisted that these was different and used DNA evidence and Biblical studies to prove that the tomb belongs to Jesus and his family.

But after careful investigation of James Cameron claims it was proven to be false.

All of these claims are false, not true. Because the reality and what the bible says, Jesus Christ was risen from the dead and He is in heaven and in the hearts of the believers
and He will come back for His bride (the church, the believers) and judge the living and the dead.

Why is it significant or importance to Christians?

It's simply mean that our christian faith is not futile, that we're no longer in sins because we're washed by the Jesus blood (forgiven)

And we have eternal life in Him.
And we can continue to live for his glory and continue to spread His salvation.

Jesus Christ the Great Healer

Luke 5:31-32 (NKJV)
31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Whenever we have a problem about something, normally we call an expert to help us.
e.g. if you have clogged sink, you have to call a plumber to fix it, or someone who knew how to fix it.
if you are physically sick, you go to a doctor to help you find cure for your illness.

The same idea can also be applied with our spiritual condition, that we're sick, we're spiritually sick because of sin (sinfulness) and we need to cure it, and only the Lord Jesus Christ is the spiritual physician who can cure it (He is the cure). His ministry was to heal not only physical sickness but most importantly spiritual sickness (SIN). Because man can't cure its own sinfulness, and Jesus Christ has the cure.

Our spiritual condition:
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:10-17
10 As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “Their throat is an open [a]tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

Jesus Mission (Healer and Savior):

PHYSICALLY:
Isaiah 35:5-6
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.

Luke 5:15
However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.

SPIRITUALLY:
Jeremiah 3:22
22 “Return, you backsliding children,
And I will heal your backslidings.”
“Indeed we do come to You,
For You are the Lord our God.

Isaiah 53:5
5 But He was wounded[a] for our transgressions,
He was [b]bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes[c] we are healed.

1 Peter 2:24
24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose [a]stripes you were healed.

John 3:17 
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Verse 32, This is not the Godly righteousness but self-righteousness, these are the people who don't see their sinfulness and faults (e.g. Pharisees)
People who doesn't take responsibility for their actions, instead of seeing and admitting their fault, they blame others or make excuses.

Illustration:
Most of us have gone to a doctor's checkup?
In order for the doctor to administer the right prescription of medicine:
1. We need to acknowledge that we're sick and we need help for a cure.
2. Normally the doctor will ask questions and we have to answer it with all honesty.

Luke 18:9-14
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be [a]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

What is Repentance?
In the New Testament, the key term for repentance is metanoia - It has two usual senses: a "change of mind" and "regret/remorse."

Repentance means "to turn from evil, and to turn to the good.", turning away from evil and returning to God.

It is the free sovereign act of God's mercy, and a conscious decision to turn to God (a turning that goes beyond sorrow and contrition).

.True repentance leads a person to say, "I have sinned" and prove it with a 180-degree change of their direction.
- Requires true brokenness.
- Repentance is NOT asking the Lord for forgiveness with the intent to sin again.
- Repentance is an honest, regretful acknowledgement of sin with commitment to change.
- Repentance leads us to cultivate godliness while eradicating habits that lead into sin.
- Repentance is only a condition of salvation and not the reason for salvation. 

Jesus can heal us physically, but most importantly we need to be healed spiritually.


Dr. Will Mayo, one of the brothers who founded the world famous Mayo Clinic, claimed to have seen  patients that by all standards were dead. “We knew they could not live. But I have seen a minister come to the bedside and do something for them that I could not do, although I had done everything in my professional power, but something touched some immortal spark in them and in defiance of medical knowledge and materialistic common sense, that patient lived!” (Source Unknown).

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-22)

Matthew 19:16-22
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good[a] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

17 So He said to him, [b]“Why do you call Me good? [c]No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept [d]from my youth. What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.


- A parallel story can be found also in Mark 10: 17-22 and Luke 18:18-23

- The rich young ruler came running and kneel (Mark) to Jesus, he was a young ruler and wealthy, we see his desire to learn about eternal how he can prepare for it, unlike the other pharisees who came to Jesus for wrong motives.

- The rich young ruler have what most don't have. He has the money (rich), the energy and the time because he's still young. But most people the illustration about "The system of life" holds the truth.

- The young ruler was a Pharisee since he believes in eternal life like Martha (John 11:24)  who believes in the resurrection of the dead.

- He believes that eternal life can be earned or worked-out by doing things or good things, and he wants to make sure that he gets it.

- Not only he is rich, young and have power, but lives his life in obedience to God's law's, that's why when Jesus told him to keep the commandments, he's response was "which ones"? verse 18

Application:

1. Perfect righteousness is the key to salvation, but nobody is perfect in the eyes of God,
Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

that's why we need Jesus Christ perfect righteousness.

Salvation is God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. You can't earn it by doing good works.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2. The rich young ruler thinks that he's perfect because he has done all of God's commanded but he didn't realize the sins in his heart:
a. Idolatry - his riches and possessions
b. covetousness)
- He hoards earthly and not heavenly things

Matthew 16:26 ESV
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?