Proverbs 19:5-6

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free. ⁶Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.

Tell me

There’s a bully who intimidated a seemingly timid stranger. He held on the collar of the shirts of the stranger and asked, “Do you know who I am? Do you know who my parents are?” The stranger hesitated for a bit and said, “I’m sorry, Sir. You are asking the wrong person. I’m not familiar of this place. You may want to go and ask the police officer, if you do not know who you are, and if you do not know who you parents are!”

If a bully tries to intimidate and ask who they are, is it useful to respond, “Tell me who your friends are, and I tell you who you are”?

Be careful in choosing your friends. If your friends loves fishing, you will want to go fishing one day. If you friends are businessmen, you may want to learn business. If you friends are musically talented, you will also want music. Find friends who regularly attend prayer meeting, and you want to attend prayer meeting also. Seriously reflect on Psalm 119:63

          ⁶³I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.

During regular conversation, if you were talking about work, studies, family or personal matters and your friends would smartly include their adventure with Christ, cherish those friend. When believers casually share their personal experience with Christ without hesitation, they are blessed.

It is very refreshing to have friends who are blessed by the Lord. Real life experience with Christ is freedom from any burden of life. It declares in Galatians 5:1, ¹It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

By prayerful always. Anyone can be enslaved by something. Christ our Lord came to set us free. When something burdens us, it’s a reminder form God that our human nature tries to control our life. We’ve got to be prayerful and seek the Lord’s empowerment and experience freedom in him. We tell others about it when we sense complete freedom in Christ.

1. Go Free

                                 ⁵A false witness will not go unpunished,

                             and whoever pours out lies will not go free.

The Lord mandated us to be his witnesses. We testify of our personal experience of freedom in him. What has enslaved you in your old self?

Have you struggled about vices, alcohol, food, work, studies, gossip, internet or indulgences? Your previous mess becomes your message when you witness for the freedom you have in Christ. Some people are also addicted to faking their identity. They present themselves as Christian even if they did not have personal relationship with Christ. Actually, in the first century, it says in Acts 19:13-16,¹³Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” ¹⁴Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. ¹⁵One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” ¹⁶Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

Why did the man who had the evil spirit overpower the seven sons of Sceva when they invoked the name of the Lord? Did the evil spirit know that Christ commanded his disciples to be witnesses and not any religious personality? The Lord mandated in Acts 1:8, ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.

 Only disciples who have received the Holy Spirit are commanded to witness for Christ. To witness for Christ, we testify of personal experiences with him. Anyone who did not receive the Holy Spirit by tries to be witness for Christ, that witness is false; that person has no personal relationship with the Lord for sure. To have personal relationship with Christ is to receive first and foremost the power of the Holy Spirit as practical proof.

How do you interpret what Christ teaches in Matthew 7:21, ²¹Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

When we receive the Spirit of Christ, we enthusiastically obey the will of the Father without any reluctance or compulsion. The term “enthusiasm” evolved from the Greek enthousiasmós which means inspired by God. When inspired by the Lord, we sense peaceful gladness to testify for Christ.   Spontaneously, we participate in the ministry God prepared for us as personal response of gratitude to the many favor and gifts God gave us.

2. Give Gifts

                      ⁶Many curry favor with a ruler,

                   and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.

When you return to your country of origin after living abroad for longer time, you prepare generous gifts for your relatives and friends. How do your relatives and friends respond when they received gift from you? Will they hide their gladness when they received the generous gift you gave?

Some of them may have invited you as special guest to attend their special occasion as their expression of appreciation to your generosity. How do you entertain your special guest during special occasion?

We can learn from the narrative in Luke 10:38-42, ³⁸Jesus came to a village where a woman named Martha lived. She welcomed him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰But Martha was busy with all the things that had to be done. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, my sister has left me to do the work by myself. Don’t you care? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered. “You are worried and upset about many things. ⁴²But few things are needed. Really, only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better. And it will not be taken away from her.”

Was it smart for Martha to be busy with many things? Jesus did not say Martha was wrong. He said that there’s only one thing that is needed at that moment. Mary chose to listen to Jesus. Listening to Jesus was better choice than being busy and upset about many things. Martha exemplified a manner that is very common to many celebrants who invite guest to attend.

Celebrants serve the best food they could present to their guests, and ask questions like: “How’s the food? Did you like it” Did you enjoy it?” Out of politeness, guests would normally say, “It’s good, it’s good!”.

Do celebrants invite special guests as food testers to confirm if they are good cooks or not? How many celebrants would ask their guest, “Were you glad to celebrate with me?” A sincere and earnest guest might say, “I wish you can sit down with me for a bit and not ignored my presence.”

Many celebrants find no meaningful conversation with their special guest. Certainly, if the Lord was invited to special your occasions, he would not turn down services similar to what Martha did. The Lord appreciated Mary listening to him more than the busyness of the upset Martha.

Certainly, the Lord appreciates heart-to-heart chat with us more than anything else. We attend prayer meeting to have heart-to-heart chat with the Lord. In our small groups, we thank and praise God for his favor and blessings for us and also opportunities to serve him. We also share our prayer items as practical example of our trust that the Lord hears us.

We continue to pray more and more church members may chose like Mary and prefer to have heart to heart conversation with Christ always.

<))’> ><))’> tmec\ltsii\2026 <‘((>< <‘((><