2 Corinthians 5:18-21 

¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Famine

         It’s desperate during severe famine. Enemies surrounded the city of Samaria. Famine was very severe. Everyone in Samaria was hungry. And Prophet Elisha declared in 2 Kings 7:1-2, ¹“The Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” ²The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”

         And that was what happened. The Lord caused the Aramean soldiers around Samaria to be confused and scared, and they left. They ran for their lives. Four men discovered that the Aramean soldiers left behind their food supplies. They went and reported to the city that the Arameans were gone.

         Everyone in Samaria came out and took away the food supplies left behind by the Aramean soldiers. And it narrated in 2 Kings 7:17, ¹⁷Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house.

         The officer did not believe what Prophet Elisha declared. He saw the abundant food but did not taste any of it. This tragic event illustrates what happens at the grand celebration in heaven. All believers in Christ will enjoy the heavenly feast prepared for believers, but those who reject Christ won’t.

         Personally, how do you interpret what it prophesied in Isaiah 25:6-9?

            ⁶The Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. ⁷On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; ⁸he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. ⁹In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

         Have you been reconciled to the Lord? You will certainly attend the grand banquet that the Lord prepared for us. God won’t forbid us to have successful career. We can plan for future, but materialism can mislead us.

         We can pursue our dream. But God’s glorious purpose will prevail. Have you struggled, “Why’s life so hard and reflected what’s happening?” Possibly, the Lord is diverting you to the best path for your life adventure. Prayerfully discern what God prepared for you and trust his process. By faith in Christ, we explore the message of reconciliation and share it.

1.  Message

            ¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 

         God Almighty initiated and actualized reconciliation to himself. We were reconciled to God as his children when we repented of our sins and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And to help others return to God our heavenly Father, he committed to us the message of reconciliation. Let us reflect on what it teaches in Ephesians 2:13, ¹³Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

         Can you sense if God is near you? God decreed that anyone who sinned is eternally punished. When sin polluted the world, we sinned and turned away from God. But our merciful God sent his precious Son Jesus Christ to be crucified and died for the atonement of sin. The blood of Jesus shed on the cross washed away all our sins, and by faith, we believed it.

         Christ’s crucifixion was grand design of God to reconcile us back to him. He required us to share the message of reconciliation as proof that we are reconciled to him. So, we gladly tell loved ones, friends, acquaintances and all potential believers our personal experience of reconciliation to God.

         Have you gladly testified of your life adventure with Christ Jesus yet?

Doubt a Bit

         Did you ever sense a bit of doubt if you can attend the grand banquet of God in heaven or not? Listen: Most new believers can sense doubt a bit. Reflect on this: “Will you really enter heaven when Christ returns?”  When the Holy Spirit inspires, you can sense eagerness to inform your loved ones about the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. What can you do?

         Get a copy of gospel presentation tract and read it several times. Be prayerful and reflect on it. The Lord appointed potential believers for you to share the good news of salvation in Christ. When you lead them to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, your faith in him will grow stronger.

         If you are hesitant to talk about the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ, invite ministry leaders to join you, and they will be the ones who share and explain the gospel of salvation in Christ while you will be praying for them.

         Let’s reflect on Romans 10:13-14, ¹³Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. ¹⁴How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

         This is indirect challenge to anyone who received the Holy Spirit of God. Truly, the Holy Spirit fills us with enthusiasm to share the message of reconciliation to God. God designed this as practical proof that for us to be more assured that we are reconciled to him, and not deceive ourselves.

         If you greatly experienced the wonderful benefits of being Canadian citizens, you would love to talk about it. Canadians can avail of free medical care. There’s free fishing license for senior citizens. There’s 50% discount bus fare for the elderly. Canadians can travel visa free to many countries.

         Similarly as citizens of heaven, we sense peace despite confusion somewhere. We have hope to attend the grand banquet in heaven. And for people to be reconciled to the Lord, God makes his appeal through us.

2.  Make

      ²⁰We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on                              Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 

         By faith in Christ, we were reconciled to God. And the Lord appointed us ambassadors of Christ. Through us, God makes his appeal to reconcile potential believers to himself. The term “appeal” has urgent message for people to return to God. Why? Many people died without eternal life.

         Christ is coming sooner. We are running short of time to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Why did Christ instruct us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven? Are treasures in heaven very significant?

         Together, let’s reflect on what Christ instructed in Matthew 6:20-21,   ²⁰Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

         Treasures are valuables. When we value treasures in heaven, we also value our heavenly dwelling. Storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven practically proves that our heart belongs to heaven. Do you agree?

We eagerly look forward to live with God forever. It’s not accidental wish. But how can we store up for ourselves treasures in heaven? We follow the Lord’s instructions like: sharing the message of reconciliation to God.

Jonah

         But someone may sincerely ask, “How about my plan for my family, my personal dreams? Together, let’s learn from Jonah 1:1-3, ¹The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: ²“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” ³But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

         And what happened after? Jonah ran away but God redirected him, and he went to preach among the Ninevite eventually. God can use our plans to reconcile people to God. We can pursue our dreams and reconcile others to God, how? How should we plan our future and still obey the Lord?

         How do we explain to children what it teaches in Proverbs 16:9?  ⁹Humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

         God won’t prohibit us from pursuing our dreams. Pray something like: “God, help me listen to you. Give me practical steps to achieve my dream and plan.” When God grants your dream, testify of his grace and love for you. But whenever we step out of bound away from his purposes, God might redirect us so that his wonderful plan for us will be accomplished.

3.  Might

      ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

         From eternity, God Almighty had designed it that, we might exemplify godly righteousness by faith in Christ. Why is the righteousness of God so desirable to live with? What is so gratifying about his righteousness so that God let his most precious Son Jesus Christ be tortured and crucified?

         Meditatively reflect on what Christ declared in Matthew 5:6. ⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

         To be filled is to be satisfied, contented, gratified or pleased. If we are thirsty, we want to drink fresh water to satisfy the thirst. Likewise, if we thirst for righteousness, Christ declared it that we will be filled and gratified.

         Righteousness that comes by faith in Christ is favorable practically and eternally. How is that? Meditate on what it declares in Proverbs 21:21, ²¹Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

         Great life is gratifying experience. Prosperity includes career success. Honor can be social status and influence. Great standing in society is much preferable than being ordinary or outcast. Yet only few individuals has this privilege of great prosperity and honor. But by faith in Christ, we can also explore life adventure that godly righteousness may offer us. Really?

Hannah

         Learn from the experience of Hannah, the mother of Prophet Samuel. In Hebrew, women with no children were considered disgrace from God. Indeed, God closed the womb Hannah so that she cannot be pregnant. Let us reflect on 1 Samuel 1:6-11, ⁶Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. ⁷This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. ⁸ Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” ⁹Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. ¹⁰In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 

         Elkanah favored Hannah better but she was not satisfied. Peninnah was envious that Hannah got better privileges. So, she exploited Hannah’s infertility and humiliated her. In her anguish, Hannah desperately prayed, and God granted her prayer request. She gave birth to Prophet Samuel.

         Prophet Samuel became powerful leader of Israel. Being the mother of powerful leader, Hannah may have enjoyed great standing in Israel. Peninnah should be scared of Hannah’s retaliation. But Hannah did not retaliate against her. She just felt exalted and praised God in 1 Samuel 2:7.

         ⁷The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.

         Have you been humiliated? Are you struggling with difficulties of life?

Most often, difficulties are challenged for us to sincerely seek God’s help. God designed wonderful life adventure for us to earnestly trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Faith in Christ is our first step to explore this adventure. During Lord’s Supper, we remember Christ who sacrificially died for our sins. By faith in him, we might become the righteousness of God. Amen!

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