August 21

ACTS 17

¹⁰ The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. ¹² Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. ¹³ But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. ¹⁴ Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. ¹⁵ Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. – Acts 17:10-15

ACTS 17 TO RECEIVE THE WORD IS TO OBEY IT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you hear the word of God, do you get excited?

Do you accept it or do you doubt and question it?

To receive the word of God is to allow its transforming influence

When you haven’t examined and followed it, you remain unchanged

When the Spirit of God dwells in you, his word inevitably transforms you

When you were not chosen to be his servant, you won’t accept the word

To take the word eagerly means that you’ll apply what it says and obey it

To reject it would mean that you deny the truth and you won’t be free.

The writer in the book of Acts narrates the story of how people responded to the word of God. The Jews in Berea received the gospel very differently from those Jews in Thessalonica. What’s the difference? They received the word of God eagerly. Notice the word eagerly? What does it mean to be eager? Let’s imagine a child who was given a promise that she will receive one of her wishes as a birthday gift. You could picture her being so excited and waiting until the day she gets that gift. She probably won’t be able to sleep as she guesses which one among her wishes will she get. She’ll visualize what she would do as soon as she gets that gift. That is probably what the writer is illustrating here on how the Jews eagerly received it. Enthusiasm and expectancy were present when they received the word. They knew that the word of God would change their lives. It wasn’t a passive waiting but a looking forward to how God’s word would prove true to their lives. In verse 12, when the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul had proclaimed the gospel in Berea, they came and caused a stir. In other words, they didn’t receive the word of God when they heard it spoken to them by Paul in Thessalonica. They became envious of the Jews in Berea because they didn’t accept God’s word with much enthusiasm and eagerness.

Many Christians hear the word, read the bible regularly and yet live unchanged lives. What does that tell us about their faith?

REFLECTION

·       Why do some Christians stay unchanged despite hearing the gospel?

August 20

TITUS 2

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. ² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. ⁷ Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸ and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. ⁹ Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

                                                                                        – Titus 2:1-10

TITUS 2 OBEY GOD’S SOUND DOCTRINE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Remember all the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ

Obey them so that the word of God may be alive

God stipulated these doctrines so your life may be well

He wants his people to be models of good works

Submitting to sound teaching will guard you from evil

Being subject to God’s word gives you victory over the devil.

Many religions don’t always teach sound doctrines. I’ve had my share of experiences with churches that do not follow the word of God in their practices. This brought about so much confusion in me when I was in the search of a church that truly honored and submitted to the word of God in their teachings. It was one of the reasons why I was asked to step down as a bible teacher in a church because I dared to confront the pastor on why someone who doesn’t even profess her faith is teaching the word of God. It was when I studied at an online bible college that I began to understand and discern what was true and what was false teaching. Many Christians do not truly study the bible and expect growth in their faith. This is a sad fate for so many of us who claim that we are believers.  In 1 Timothy 6:3-5, Paul warns us of the danger of false teachings when he said: If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

In this letter of Paul to his spiritual son, Titus, he gave the believers a detailed instruction on how to be obedient to sound doctrine. Without honoring and submitting to the inerrancy of the bible, we will fail.

REFLECTION

• What happens if our life doesn’t manifest submission to the truth that comes from God’s word?

August 19

PROVERBS 24

¹⁹ Fret not yourself because of evildoers, and be not envious of the wicked,
²⁰ for the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

²¹ My son, fear the Lord and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise,
²² for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

                                                                                 – Proverbs 24:19-22

PROVERBS 24 OBEY & FEAR THE LORD & AUTHORITIES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord your God created all things good and wonderful

He made his creation for his own pleasure and purpose

When sin entered the picture, his design was ruined by envy

The plan for mankind to bow down to God turned into jealousy

The curse on the act of sin made humans full of pride and rebellious

Submission to God and authorities became compromised and tedious

So, God gave mankind a solution to obey and fear him through Christ

Only in Jesus can we fear the Lord and submit to authorities given to us.

In this wise saying, Solomon points out the prevalence of envy and jealousy in humans. If we go back to the garden in Genesis when the first sin of our parents happened, we will discover that the cause for disobedience was envy. Satan was envious of God’s power and provision to mankind. What’s the basis of this statement? These are the following verses that give us a picture and background who Satan was:

• Luke 10:18 -And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
• Revelation 12:9 -And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
• Isaiah 14:12 -“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
• 2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment
• Revelation 12:7-9– Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Now, from these verses, can you deduce that the reason why Satan enticed Adam and Eve to sin is from his envy over the power that God had when he was thrown down from heaven? This jealousy made him compete and defy God’s authority and get humans to be on his side against God’s authority.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think it is hard for us humans to easily obey and submit to authorities?

August 18

2 CORINTHIANS 12

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave itto the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – 2 Corinthians 12:9-21

2 CORINTHIANS 12 SUBMIT TO GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God called you as his servant, he becomes your King

You are now a new person who willingly submits to him

You no longer crave for what is gratifying; instead, you obey his commands

Because God is love and is righteous, you now succumb to what is good

You now hate what is evil and hold on fast to do what is right

You now let go of control and let him rule over your entire life

No longer do you make a habit of sin, but follow his word

You think less of yourself and is now concerned with others.

In this letter of Paul to the Corinthian church, he gives them a guideline how to submit to God’s righteousness. Many people do not have a servant’s mindset and heart. Some Christians think that they have accepted Jesus in their hearts on their own accord, as if it was their own doing to say yes to God’s invitation to be part of his people. When I became a Canadian citizen and pledged my allegiance to Queen Elizabeth as my sovereign leader, I began to understand the difference coming from another country. I made a vow to honor and follow the Queen and be loyal to her and her successors for as long as I am a Canadian. I had to let go of the old system of government that I was used to and realized what sovereignty means and why it is important to submit to the authority assigned to me by God himself.

Paul stressed to the Corinthian believers that their allegiance is no longer to themselves or earthly rulers, but to the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He urged them to love genuinely and hate what is evil and do good instead. This is what it means to submit to God’s righteousness. It means to have a passion for enthusiasm to do the work of the Lord which is to bring the gospel and to love and build each other up for the sake of the unity of the church and being ready for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He also asked them to be humble and care even for your enemies.

REFLECTION

• What does submission to God’s righteousness look like in a believer’s life?

August 17

2 CORINTHIANS 10

 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away! — ² I beg of you that when I am present, I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.  – 2 CORINTHIANS 10:1-6

2 CORINTHIANS 10 SUBMIT YOUR THOUGHTS TO OBEY CHRIST

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

A child of God recognizes that he is made in God’s likeness

God gave us a mind that is not fearful, uncontrolled or anxious

Instead, we are given a sound mind that has power and is regulated

It does not listen to lies or succumb to anything that rebels against God

God’s child submits his thoughts into the obedience of Christ

He does not rely on his own understanding that is so limited

He does not claim any credit for what only God is able to do

He obeys the word that comes only from the mouth of God.

In this account, Paul explains spiritual warfare that happens almost regularly if not moment by moment in our lives. Few Christians probably have a soldier mindset because they haven’t approached life as a battlefield. It is easy to fight someone you see, but Paul explains in verse 4 that we are not dealing with enemies that we see but they are unseen and they exist in the spiritual realm. So, if we are not aware of this battle that is waged against us on a daily basis, how can we win the war?

Paul gives us a weapon to wage war in Ephesians 6:10-18 by spelling out the armor that we need to wear if we are soldiers for Christ which includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace coming from the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation which is the word of God and to pray at all times on every occasion.

There is another very important weapon that we can also constantly use against the enemy. Paul explains it in verse 5. It has something to do with our mind. The battlefield actually starts in the mind. That is how Satan attacks us. Remember how the first sin of Adam and Eve happened? It was the seed of doubt that was sown in their minds that made them question the provision and promise of God. The devil twists God’s words and makes it appear like it is true when it is half-truths. They are still lies because some parts of the word are twisted. Paul wants us to hold our thoughts captive into the obedience of Christ.

REFLECTION

• What does verse 5 mean when it says to destroy arguments against the knowledge of God?

August 15

1 PETER 5

⁵ Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. ⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. ¹⁰ And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹ To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 5:5-11

1 PETER 5 HUMILITY IS SUBMISSION TO GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, you are to follow him

He surrendered to his Father’s will and gave up his divinity

He humbled himself to set an example for us to emulate

Though he was King of kings, he continued to be obedient

He suffered for us so that we would be reconciled with God

He submitted to God’s plan of salvation in order to free us

To be humble is to walk in love and surrender to the Lord

When we are proud, we are not submitting to God.

Because of sin, human nature tends to be proud and arrogant. Without God, nobody can claim that they are meek. Manifesting humility is never an ability or skill that comes from humans. It is a divine work. We always think of ourselves first than others and it is God’s Spirit that makes those whom he chooses to think less of themselves and think more of others instead.  We cannot fabricate humility and submission. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who believe in God. Without faith, we can never do what is right and true. Our first parents made us selfish because of their disobedience to God. Let us never forget that without believing in God, we can not have the ability to be sacrificial and generous to others. That is why those who do not know God will have no chance to exercise obedience, submission and humility.

In this account, Peter reproves the young to submit to their elders. He also encourages them to exercise humility. What does humility mean? Peter explains in verse 6 that to humble oneself before God is to be free from anxiety but to cast all of them under the might hand of God. Unbelievers would never comprehend what this means because to be humble is to submit to someone you look up to. It is the opposite of pride in which a person would never bow down or give in to someone else other than themselves. The proud can never submit or surrender to anyone because they think so highly of themselves and the center of attention is on the self. It doesn’t see anyone else.

REFLECTION

• Can a proud person have the ability to submit or surrender to someone? Cite examples.

August 14

ACTS 5

²⁵ And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” ²⁶ Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.²⁷ And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” ²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰ The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. ³¹ God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³² And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”³³ When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. ³⁴ But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. ³⁵ And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.

                                                                                        – Acts 5:25-35

ACTS 5 OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a servant of God, your allegiance is not in your own or any other men

Your Creator is your Master and he requires his creatures to be obedient

God is the maker of all things and he is sovereign and knows what’s right

Humans are only his creation and does not have a clue about his life

God gave us laws so we can be protected from evil and give him all the glory

The true believers obey God rather than men; their Lord is their priority.

In this account, we hear of the power struggle of the high priest and those religious officials. Even though they have already succeeded in killing Jesus, they wanted to make sure that there will be no talk of him or teachings propagated by anyone who were followers of Jesus. In verse 28, they were very clear about the prohibition of Jesus’ teaching because they felt that if they do so, they are insinuating that they were responsible for Jesus’ death. Power is something that these men were so hungry for. It was their fear of losing the honor that they get from having their positions and knowledge. They were so threatened by the way Jesus taught because there’s so much wisdom and authority in his words. The religious leaders were so full of themselves claiming that they know the laws and the prophets and yet they didn’t believe Jesus was the Son of God. Peter’s response in verse 29-30 was bold and true. He couldn’t have said these words if the Spirit of the Lord wasn’t with him. He courageously told these power-hungry religious leaders that they will obey God and not stop teaching what Jesus had taught them. He even stated outright that they killed Jesus and hung him on a tree. Of course, this angered them because they were denying that they were responsible for Jesus’ death for fear of losing the respect they so clamor for. The apostles will not follow their order because they will obey God rather than men.

REFLECTION

·       Show instances when submission to authority from leaders could pose a disobedience to God and which one should the believer follow?

August 12

ISAIAH 66

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest?
² All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

³ “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;
 he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood;
 he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
These have chosen their own ways,  and their soul delights in their abominations;
⁴ I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them,
because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen;
but they did what was evil in my eyes   and chose that in which I did not delight.”

                                                                                        – Isaiah 66:1-4

ISAIAH 66 TREMBLE & SUBMIT TO GOD’S WORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Those who love and serve the Lord humble themselves to his word

They do not defy truth but succumb to every word it says

They fear the Lord so they tremble at God’s sovereignty

They do not question or resist truth but follow them instead

To submit to God is to obey his word and resist the world

It is the only way that one can prove their love for the Lord.

This chapter in the book of Isaiah is a rebuke on the religious rituals that the Israelites practiced in terms of their worship of the one true God. Through his prophet Isaiah, God confronts the people of their empty rituals that do not actually worship him but are influenced by other pagan idolatry. God also reminds them that he created all things and that they can never build a house for him that would please him since they are all his possession. This marks the transition from physical worship in a structure using the Levitical practices into the spiritual worship that God required. In John 4:23-24, Jesus explains to the woman in the well that there’ll come a time when true worship transcends physical locations. So, the book of Isaiah was prophetically speaking about Jesus’ salvation work. When Jesus resurrected, the Holy Spirit indwelled those who believed in him. Since the Holy Spirit is living inside them, it is their whole being that is now the temple of God.

The Lord says through Isaiah that the true worshipers are those who are contrite in spirit and tremble at his word. What does it mean to have a contrite spirit? It is a spirit that hears the correction of God through his word, repent and submit to his word and laws.

REFLECTION

• What does it look like to tremble at God’s word and submit to it in a believer’s life?