Fresh Start Daily

Devo: Matthew 9:1-8

The paralytic was brought to Jesus by his friends. His friends took the roof apart and lowered him down through it because of the crowd.

“When Jesus saw their faith…” v. 2

It was the faith of the paralytic’s friends, not his, that caused Jesus to forgive and heal him. They had faith that Jesus could heal their friend.

This shows us that our circle matters. Do our friends lift us up in prayer when we need it? Do our friends bring us to Jesus? Or do they talk about us behind our back? Do they wish the worst for us?

His friends cared about him so much that they brought him to Jesus. His friends knew that only Jesus could heal him.

“He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.'” v. 2

The paralytic could’ve been depressed because Jesus told him to cheer up.

“Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. And he arose and departed to his house.” v. 6-7

It’s because of his friends that he was forgiven and healed.

Also, we can see in these verses that Jesus forgave the man first before He healed him. It is because spiritual healing (forgiveness for our sins) is more important than physical healing.

Sometimes God allows diseases and physical disabilities to bring us to Himself. Until we realize that God is all we need, we will never come to Him.

God doesn’t promise that when we come to Him, we will be healed. God is sovereign and He knows what’s best for us.

As a friend, our job is to pray for our friends, to ask God to cover them with His blood because they could be suffering from things that they don’t talk to us about.

In the previous story in chapter 9, we learned that we have to choose our friends carefully because they will help us in our physical snd spiritual journey. However, in this story, God shows us that we also have to befriend sinners.

Here’s a caveat. We have to befriend sinners not to be influenced by them but to influence them for the Lord.

We were sinners before we came to know the Lord, and sometimes even as believers, we are tempted to sin.

When Jesus called Matthew, he was a tax collector. I read from the commentary, enduringword.com, that the Jewish people considered tax collectors before as traitors because they worked for the Roman government. They didn’t have a good reputation.

However, Jesus told him to follow Him. Jesus knew that he was a sinner but Jesus called him to be one of His disciples. We can also see the heart of Matthew here. It says in verse 9 that “he arose and followed Him.” Matthew obeyed God right away. Then, because he obeyed, his friends came to Jesus, too.

“Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.” v. 10

Eventually, Matthew wrote the gospel of Matthew. ❤️ This is a good reminder because sometimes, us believers tend to hang out only with believers because it’s easy and comfortable. However, we forget to reach out to unbelievers who need our influence so they can also know Jesus and have a personal relationship with Him.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” vv. 12-13

These are only three verses but they’re very powerful.

“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'” v. 22

They obviously have done many amazing, spiritual things. However, spiritual accomplishments mean nothing if we are not personally connected to God. God said,

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” v. 21

We should call on the name of the Lord to be saved. It says in Romans 10:13, “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

However, just because someone calls on the name of the Lord doesn’t mean that he is truly saved. Anyone can call on the Lord but not really mean it. Anyone can prophesy, cast out demons, and do wonders in thre name of Jesus.

It can be done for the Lord without really knowing the Lord. It can also be for personal gain.

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” v. 23

“I never knew you…”

It’s not enough that we know the Lord. We should also be known by Him. A relationship is not a relationship if it is one-sided. There should be a mutual understanding between the two people.

When I heard a similar message before, I cried out to God and asked Him to show me that He knows me. I prayed to Him with that request for three nights in a row and the day after, I received my confirmation. I was laughing and crying at the same time in front of my friend who is also a believer of Jesus Christ. I was elated.

There is a day of judgment. In verse 22, God said, “Many will say to Me in that day…” “…in that day…” refers to Judgment Day. There will be a day where we will stand before God and face His judgment.

On that day, the only thing that will matter is our relationship with God. I remembered the story of Mary and Martha when Jesus visited them. Martha was preoccupied with many things, with serving God, but Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha complained to Jesus about her sister, Mary, who was not helping her. Jesus, however, told Martha that Mary chose the good part. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to focus on Him, to communicate with Him, to have fellowship with Him.

“And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.'” – Luke 10:41-42 NKJV

What then is the basis of salvation? It doesn’t mean we should not call on the Lord because we should. It doesn’t mean bot doing anything for God. The basis of salvation is connection to God. We have to check our heart if we are truly connected to Him.

“In the end, there is one basis of salvation; it isn’t mere verbal confession, not “spiritual works,” but knowing Jesus and being known by Him. It is our connection to Him – by the gift of faith that He gives to us – that secures our salvation. Connected to Jesus we are secure; without connection to Him all the miracles and great works prove nothing.” enduringword.com

Matthew 6:1-4

1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

I think people are sometimes tempted to give to appear generous and therefore, to be applauded by men–because we all want to appear righteous. We don’t want others to think we are bad.

Recently, my husband asked me about my trip in Vietnam and I willingly shared stories. Then I told him about the alms I tried to give to the man I saw on the street. I just wanted to tell him that the man refused to take the money no matter how I insisted. He pointed to the CCTV camera and said that he wouldn’t be allowed to go back to that spot if he took it. So my mother and I left. My purpose was just to share the story and not for him to think that I am a generous person. In my mind it was okay because he’s my husband and we are one. However, I felt convicted.

God tells us in these verses in Matthew that we should give out of our love for the Lord and care for men and not for people’s applause. When people applaud us, we already receive our reward and we won’t be rewarded by God anymore in heaven. I prefer God’s reward over people’s applause.

If we do it for human recognition, we might as well enjoy their congratulatory remarks because that is all the reward we will get. I always ask God to help me forget the charitable things I do because I don’t want to feel proud about it. I don’t want to even remember it. It’s okay if the people I gave to don’t remember me. The purpose is not for them to remember me but for them to know that God sees them and knows their needs. Everything that we do should be for God’s glory, not ours.

I just memorized 1st Corinthians 10:31 last Wednesday:

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Whatever we do should be done for God’s glory. I won’t have anything to give if God doesn’t provide foe me. I wouldn’t give if God doesn’t prompt me to give. It’s all God.

What if other people learn about our giving? It doesn’t mean that we lose our reward in heaven when other people find out about our charitable deeds. What’s important is our motive. Do we do it for the glory of God or for our own selfish desires? God sees beyond our actions. He sees our motives.

Matthew 5:14-16

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Christians are the light of the world and we should let our light shine so that they will glorify God. God wants us to give, especially to those who are in need.

I thought this passage won’t speak to me anymore because I’ve read this countless times before. However, I am surprised to glean from it anew. I am also grateful because I asked God to help me learn something new and He did answer it.

“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” v. 28

God is telling us that to lust for a person in his mind is already a sin. However, that does not give us the license to do it. Just because we know that the thought of it is sin doesn’t mean that actually committing the sin won’t be any worse. God hates both.

I like what the enduringword.com commentary said:

“We may not be able to control passing thoughts or feelings, but we certainly do decide where our heart and mind will rest.” enduringword.com

Sometimes temptations or negative thoughts flood our minds but we have to choose not to entertain them. I learned that we can choose not to let it affect us. We have control over our thoughts. It says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 verse 5 that we should take our thoughts captive.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” – 2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭4-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And when it’s hard to do, we have to ask God to give us good and godly thoughts, to remind us of His promises for us, to give us strong minds, to fill us with the Holy Spirit.

This passage does not only refer to sexual sin but anything that we lust upon. It can be riches, fame, etc.

“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” v. 29-30

We should not take these verses literally. It’s not asking us to maim our bodies so we would sin no more, because even without eyes or hands, we can still sin in the mind. We may not sin physically but we may still commit sin in the mind.

“Mutilation will not serve the purpose; it may prevent the outward act, but it will not extinguish desire.” – Bruce, enduringword.com

Imagine being married to someone who constantly daydreams about someone else. He/She is with you physically but his/her mind is with someone else. He may not necessarily be acting upon the thought but just thinking about another person when you’re married is already adultery. Having an unfaithful spouse is heartbreaking.

I would rather be alone than be with someone who isn’t loyal to me. I won’t force myself to someone who is into someone else. I don’t like that stress in my life.

“The salvation of our souls is to be preferred before all things, be they ever so dear and precious to us; and that if men’s ordinary discretion teacheth them for the preservation of their bodies to cut off a particular member, which would necessarily endanger the whole body, it much more teacheth them to part with any thing which will prejudice the salvation of their souls.” – Poole, enduringword.com

We left the hotel at around 1 pm and went to Tonkin Garden Cafe & Eatery. My class is at 6:45 pm (Philippine time) so we have more time to spare. Anyway, I read from reviews online that it has the best egg cream coffee in Ho Chi Minh and I don’t want to leave Vietnam without trying it. (I’m writing this at the Tan Son Nhat airport).

The review I read is true. Their egg cream coffee was soooooo good! I was not disappointed. They used robusta coffee and fresh egg. I’m not a coffee person (I prefer tea over coffee) but I was curious of the taste. I thought that it would taste gross because it has fresh egg, but it was surprisingly good! Yum!

Mama had matcha with coconut milk and papa had black coffee. The bahn mi was also good. Their food and drink items are also affordable. For three different drinks and two bahn mis, we paid 290,000 VND. In some restaurants here, you can get one dish for that price. It was worth it.

When we first got here at midnight last Friday, I was frustrated because the Grab driver charged us sooo much for the ride. He took 570,000 VND from us when it only cost us 122,000 VND plus the 10,000 VND airport surcharge to get here from our hotel. (We used the 389 Php to 1 VND conversion rate.)

Then when we got to the hotel, it looked so different from the pictures. Although at the back of my mind, it was reasonable for the price. (I am all for budget travel. Just because someone can travel, it doesn’t mean he should splurge.) I wasn’t expecting much but it was way beyond my expectation. 😅

Our neighbors would smoke cigarette every day and we were suffocated by the smoke that seeped through the cracked wooden door frame. The bathroom ceiling leaks and the shower stopped working after 2 days. (We just used the faucet and our make-shift tabo. Maparaan ang Pinoy!) Babawi ako sa parents ko next time.

I didn’t make plans for last Friday because I wanted it to be just a day for rest because I knew we would be able to sleep late. (We slept at around 4 a.m.)

When we went out to get something to eat for brunch, it was raining and we didn’t know where to go and it was hard to communicate with the people because most of them don’t speak English. Admittedly, it’s also my fault because I didn’t buy a sim card with internet connection.

We also learned how difficult it is to cross the street. It’s like the motorists don’t care about pedestrians because they don’t slow down for you even when you’re on the pedestrian crossing. Thank God we didn’t get into any accident.

We used Grab most of the time because we didn’t know where tbe bus stations are and which bus station to go to. They also don’t have trains. I think we would be able to save more if they have trains. We also don’t trust taxi drivers much because of our first experience so the best way to get around is by Grab. We took the bus three times, I think, in our entire stay. However, using Grab is helpful for my parents who have back and feet problems. Also, Grab rides here are cheaper than Grab rides in the Philippines. Ang saya!

Also, the weather got better and we were able to explore much of the city. We also met people who speak English and they were very helpful with giving directions. Most of them pulled out their phones and checked on the internet to show us how we could go to the places we needed to go. There was one lady yesterday who helped us book Grab. Her name is Susie and she said she has Filipino colleagues. She was really nice.

Also, I must say that we were all able to sleep well in our hotel room. We didn’t have bad dreams. I would hear papa snoring most of the time. It means that he was able to rest well. (I believe that praying over our room and the entire hotel helped a lot.) The cigarette smoke is really a no no but if there’s any consolation, it is that we all had good sleep there. I was decided to cancel our booking the next day and I actually did inform the receptionist about my concern (using Google Translate) but our stay there had been good. (I remembered later that on the website where I booked the hotel that there is no cancellation.)

I made our itinerary before coming to Vietnam and we were able to do almost all of them. I didn’t get a package tour because I wanted us to feel relaxed especially with our time. The time we would be able to spend in the places that we wanted to visit would be limited and we wouldn’t enjoy much if we got a package tour.

I think it’s easy to judge a country after a couple of days of staying there, but we will really only get to know the people and the place when we stay a bit longer. Not that we stayed that long but we get to meet more locals and see more of the place. My perspective changed and I started to like it. It has a lot of similarities with the Philippines.

I haven’t been to a lot of countries yet but so far, if there’s one country I’ll visit again, especially for the food, it’ll definitely be Vietnam. Everything we tried was superb. Their food is also healthy. Almost every dish has herbs. They are very creative with recipes. It’s just amazing.

Yesterday, I told God that I am grateful for everything–for the good and the bad. I’m not referring to Vietnam but life in general. I think people tend to grumble when we don’t see God’s hand in our situation. When we see the bigger picture, we will understand why God allowed some things that we didn’t like to happen. However, we will not always understand so we should learn to trust God in everything. We should trust that God’s plan for us is good no matter what (if we believe in Him and obey Him) because He is good. Recently, I have been asking God to help me trust Him in everything at all times.

I am beyond grateful for this experience. I had always wanted to go to Vietnam because I am really curious of the floating market (Babaw ba? 😅) We didn’t get to there though, because of the time constraints but I’m content with everything that we experienced in this city.

I am grateful that God has perks like this for us. He didn’t have to give it to us but He did. He doesn’t provide only for our needs but also for our wants. I know He will not always give us what we want but I am grateful He allowed this.

My new motto is “Everything is a blessing”. Oh, I can’t help but sing. The song I’m singing in my head right now is Every Praise by Hezekiah Walker. Truly, every praise is to our God. I am grateful for His blessings, but He will always, always, be my greatest blessing. I enjoy the good things He allows in my life, but my utmost satisfaction is in Christ alone.❤️

We left the AirBnB around 10 and had brunch in an Indian restaurant. The food was good. I just wish i didn’t order the lassi because it was very rich. I love lassi. It’s just that what I had was super creamy and heavy and it’s not good to pair with curry which was also rich in flavor. I’m grateful nonetheless. They also gave us free dessert. It was very creative and flavorful. We were instructed to pour the green mixture into the shells before eating. Yum!!!

Then we went to Taipei Zoo. There were a lot of animals that I saw for the first time like penguins, koalas, pumas, otters, sloth, etc. It was sunny during the day but it rained in the afternoon. We went to Taipei 101 after to stroll around and have dinner.

Taipei Zoo

Taipei 101

I believe that God will bring into fruition His promises for me and my family. I believe in God and His Word, the Holy Bible. When God says something, He does it. It says in Isaiah 55:11 that the word of God will not return to Him empty.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:11

When God says something, He means it. We just have to trust Him. When Abraham believed that God will give him and Sarah a son just as God told them, that belief was accounted to him as righteousness.

“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:19-22

I was just scrolling tonight on my social media and God impressed upon my heart to pray. So I grabbed my Bible and went to the balcony and randomly opened my Bible. Before doing that though, I asked God what His message for me is and to lead me to right passage. I was led to Romans 4 and read the verses 13 to 25. I was led to sing praise and worship songs to the Lord. I was encouraged by the verses I read. I know it’s for me. God wants to assure me that He will deliver His promise. ❤️

It also says in verses 23-25 that that righteousness was not only for Abraham but also for everyone who believes.

“Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.”

The righteousness from God is imputed to us when we believe. It is through FAITH.

“For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Romans 4:13

“Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations’) in the presence of Him who he believed–God…” Romans 4:16-17a

I was also reminded that when God tells us to do something, we must obey without delay. God is good. Hallelujah! ❤️

I slept from 4:30 p.m. yesterday until 11:30 p.m. Lelan and I chatted for a bit when I woke up then I went back to sleep at half past 12. I woke up again at 7:47 a.m. It feels good that I was able to get enough rest after our lack of sleep on Wednesday night. The temperature today is between 28-29 degrees Celsius.

We headed out for breakfast in a traditional Taiwanese restaurant just near our hotel. We returned to the hotel to pack up our things and get ready.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Changing of the guards ceremony at 1 p.m. in the Bronze Statue Hall (4th floor).

Exhibition Hall — We visited the galleries on the 3rd and 1st floor.

Lelan saw this restaurant (Liu Shandong Beef Noodles on Huai Ning St.) on Mark Wiens vlog. He wanted us to try it because it’s famous for its beef noodles. We almost gave up looking for it because it’s located in an alleyway. It was not very easy to find. There was a long line of people outside the restaurant when we got there.

Then we got fish croissants across the street.

We went back to our hotel and moved to an AirBnB near Taipei 101 (Xinyi District). We stayed in Lion Hotel for a night because it’s near the MRT from the airport. Picture muna while waiting for our host. 😆

Look how cute our unit is!

We went to the restaurant just outside our hotel for brunch. It’s the restaurant the taxi driver recommended to us the first time we went here (in January). There were soooo many people!

Lelan and I didn’t sleep anymore last night. After I packed my things, we already went to the airport around 2 a.m. Our flight was at 6:15 a.m. but we had to be early in the airport to check in our luggage and line up at the immigration. We also had time to meet up with Bartholomew and Ellen at the airport.

We arrived in Taipei at 9 a.m. We went to the hotel just to leave our bags because the check-in starts at 3 p.m. We decided to walk around while waiting.