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JOHN 6 THE SPIRIT IS THE GIVER OF LIFE

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February 1

JOHN 6
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
– John 6:60-65

JOHN 6 THE SPIRIT IS THE GIVER OF LIFE
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As we live in this world, our nature automatically takes over us
Only when we believe in Christ will it change our hearts
We will no longer follow our flesh which craves for the carnal
But we will now be led by God’s Spirit who shows us what is eternal.

Why do you think the disciples had a had time listening to what Jesus was saying here? The Greek word used here is “skleros” which doesn’t mean hard to understand but hard to accept. Many believers find it hard to receive the truth that comes to us through God’s word. It is not just that our minds cannot fathom what is being said but that our hearts are usually unable to accept what is true. Because we live in a fallen and corrupt world, our minds and our hearts are not automatically designed to worship God but to fit in the standards that the world demands. This is a result of the original sin of Adam and Eve.
We are all cursed to follow the sinful nature but Jesus Christ came to give us a clean slate to restore us to the original purpose of humans. We were created to give glory to our Maker. When Jesus died for us on the cross, it was to bridge the gap that was created when our first parents sinned. The ultimate sacrifice of Christ will remove that curse over all those who will believe in the Son so that they can be reunited with God the Father and resume that relationship He had with us which was interrupted by the original sin.

REFLECTION
• Why is it important for believers to constantly walk in the Spirit?

JOHN 3 WHOEVER BELIEVES IN THE SON

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January 15

JOHN 3
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
– John 3:31-36

JOHN 3 WHOEVER BELIEVES IN THE SON
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Whoever believes in the Son of God will have eternal life
Because the Son himself bears witness to the Father’s love
Everything that He says is true because it comes from up above
Whoever believes what He says will be spared from God’s wrath
But all those who don’t believe in what He says will stay in the dark
He won’t be able to receive truth because the Spirit won’t be with him.

In this account, John testifies to the divinity of the Son of God. He expounds on the importance of believing in the One who is sent to us so we can be saved and have eternal life. Without believing in Jesus, we will continue to sin and live in darkness. Without acknowledging truth, we will be unable to understand it because we won’t have the Spirit to allow us to understand and receive it.
John also focuses on the supremacy and the authority that God the Father has given to His only begotten Son. Whoever believes and obeys his Son is doing it also to Him. This is how the Father loves his Son so much that He gave him all power and authority to rule the hearts of those who choose to believe Him. But God will never force himself on anyone. He gave us a will to choose him or not.

REFLECTION
• How is believing in Jesus the first step to salvation?
• What blocks us from hearing and obeying the truth?

JOHN 2 GOD’S PERFECT TIMING

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January 7

JOHN 2
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.[a] 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. – John 2:1-8

JOHN 2 GOD’S PERFECT TIMING
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When we plan on something or execute our vision
We must seek counsel from God before acting on it
Some of our timing may not be in sync with his will
So, let’s not fail to heed and wait on God’s perfect timing.

According to some sources online, in Jesus’ time, wine was a symbol of joy and was a key part of a wedding. Wedding celebrations could last for days, and the hosts were responsible for providing food and drink for their guests. Wine was a key part of wedding celebrations, and the bride and groom would recite a blessing over the wine. In ancient times, wine had a lower alcohol content than modern wines and was often diluted with water. A wine ceremony at a wedding can symbolize the coming together of two people or families, and the good and bad times they will face together.
In this account, it seemed that Mary was part of the wedding preparations and Jesus was invited and so were his disciples. This is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and when Mary asked him to help with the wine that was running out, Jesus answered his mother “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” Why did Jesus call his mother “woman?” It just goes to show that Jesus was establishing the difference of their relationship from mother-son to Messiah and woman. He is now doing the work of His Father and he works in God’s timeline.

REFLECTION
• Why did Jesus do what Mary said even though he said it wasn’t his time yet?

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December 27

PROVERBS 24
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the LORD see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.
– Proverbs 24:17-18

PROVERBS 24 ON GLOATING OVER THE ENEMY’S FAILURE
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, humility is a must
The Lord himself gave up his divinity and became a man
Those who follow Christ must exercise love for their enemies
Instead of gloating over their failure, pray for them instead
The believer knows that there are spiritual forces working in them
They are aware of the darkness that causes them to be tempted.

In James chapter 3, he expounds on the meaning of the wisdom that comes from above. He says that those who are wise and understanding manifests good conduct in exercising humility as he exercises wisdom. James warns us of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition as the causes of boasting or gloating. Instead, he advises us to adhere to the truth. He says that selfish ambition and envy does not come from the Lord up above but is unspiritual and demonic. When jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there’ll be disorder and every despicable act. He then explains that the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere and a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
In Luke 6:27-28 Jesus gives us a radical teaching on our enemies. He says “But I say to you, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. This teaching is also reiterated in Matthew 5:43-45 which says “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

REFLECTION
• Why do humans have a tendency to gloat over their enemy’s failure?

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December 21

PROVERBS 24
Be not envious of evil men,
nor desire to be with them,
2 for their hearts devise violence,
and their lips talk of trouble.
3 By wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.
– Proverbs 24:1-4

PROVERBS 24 STAY AWAY FROM EVIL MEN
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As you serve the Lord Jesus Christ, avoid evil men
Do not envy if they have what you don’t have
Their hearts are only after violence and power
If you come close to them, they will want control
Keep filling your heart with the truth in God’s word
Obey God’s laws and the devil will flee from you.

In Psalm 1, David gives us a comparison between the righteous and the wicked men. He also warns us like Solomon to stay away from evil men when David says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his laws, he meditates day and night. He described the righteous and compared it to a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruits in its seasons and its leaves do not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Then David differentiates the wicked men from the righteous because the evil men are like chaff that the wind drives away. They will not stand the judgement of God nor can they stand amongst the congregation of the righteous. God knows the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish.

REFLECTION
• How can a believer avoid evil men?

PROVERBS 20 PLANS ESTABLISHED BY COUNSEL

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November 28

PROVERBS 20
16 Take a man’s garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.
17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
18 Plans are established by counsel;
by wise guidance wage war.
19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
20 If one curses his father or his mother,
his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
– Proverbs 20:16-20

PROVERBS 20 PLANS ESTABLISHED BY COUNSEL
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When a man consults with good counsel
His plans are well thought of and will prosper
If a man does not seek the advice of wise people
His plans may fail because he won’t see the big picture
If a man goes ahead without consultation
He must be ready to expect the worst conditions.

Why do kings, presidents and other leaders almost always have a pool of counsel or advisers? Why can’t they just make all the decisions themselves regarding making policies and executing laws and other decisions regarding the nations they rule over? Because they do not see the whole perspective of something, they need the viewpoint of other wise people so that they can make better decisions for the good of the nation or country they lead.
Solomon mentions the importance of wise counsel in verse 18 of this Proverbs. The success of a plan is established by good counsel. Even going to war can be beneficial if there are wise heads put together to plan the best strategic action.

REFLECTION
• What does a leader manifest when he listens to good advice from his counsel?

PROVERBS 13 WALK WITH THE WISE

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October 21

PROVERBS 13

15 Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin.
16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.
17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.
18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,
    but whoever heeds reproof is honored.
19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul,
    but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools.
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
    but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

                                                               – Proverbs 13:15-20

PROVERBS 13 WALK WITH THE WISE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you are in the company of wise people, you become wise

But if you are surrounded by fools, you will become one as well

Those who follow the way of the righteous will have good sense

But those who defy truth do not know what is good for them

So, walk with the wise so you can live a life of freedom

If you choose to be with fools, you will surely suffer harm.

Have you ever had an encounter with stubborn, haughty and deceived people? They think they know what they are talking about but they use a lot of words and yet they are empty and do not make sense. Just spend an hour with them and you will be exhausted because they just go around in circles and never drive their point. That is because they don’t have a clue what they are saying. They are great pretenders trying to appear they know things because their minds are actually empty and meaningless.

Now have you ever been in the company of righteous and wise people? Your mind gets awakened and they are very concise and clear with what they are saying. They make their points come across because they speak truth and not lies. They don’t go in circles. They mean what they say and use less words.  They also walk their talk. Surround yourself with these wise people and before you know it, you will be infected by their wisdom.

REFLECTION

  • Share an experience you’ve had with wise people and how they affected you.

PROVERBS 12 WISE IN HIS OWN EYES

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October 17

PROVERBS 12

15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
    but a wise man listens to advice.
16 The vexation of a fool is known at once,
    but the prudent ignores an insult.
17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence,
    but a false witness utters deceit.
18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
19 Truthful lips endure forever,
    but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,
    but those who plan peace have joy.
21 No ill befalls the righteous,
    but the wicked are filled with trouble.

                                                       – Proverbs 12:15-21

PROVERBS 12 WISE IN HIS OWN EYES

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The wise do not assume they know things, they seek counsel

Fools on the other hand don’t care about other people’s guidance

A fool is right in his own eyes, he has tunnel vision

The wise are humble and consult truthful viewpoint

When someone think highly of himself, he is depraved

The wise in their own eyes bring confusion and conflict.

Have you ever encountered people who always think they are right and never listen to anyone’s viewpoint or advice? I have known so many people like these. What drives them to be like this? When one does not recognize a higher being than them, they will surely think that they are the center of the universe. Everything revolves around them and that everyone must acknowledge them and bow down to them. This is called idolatry. When one defies the truth that someone who is higher than them, they become fools.

REFLECTION

  • What happens when you argue with people who are wise in their own eyes?

PROVERBS 11 WHEN THERE IS NO GUIDANCE

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PROVERBS

October 12

PROVERBS 11

13 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,
    but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
    but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
    but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
16 A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches.
17 A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.
18   The wicked earns deceptive wages,

   but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.

                                                                   – Proverbs 11:13-18

PROVERBS 11 WHEN THERE IS NO GUIDANCE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When one does not seek counsel, he will surely fall

It is unwise to think that you know it all

The Lord knows all things and sees all things

It is foolish to think that you can stand on your own

When there is no guidance, there is chaos and destruction

A wise person listens to advice; a wicked man ignores it.

Solomon continues to lay down differences between the righteous and the wicked and the consequences that their actions bring about. Verse 14 of this chapter stood out to me as it lays the foundation for living a life of humility and dependence on God. All the resources God provides for us comes from him alone and we ought to humbly glorify him with what we were given. Arrogance and pride are opposites of humility which lead people to bring glory to themselves instead of thanking and praising God.

A proud and arrogant person would never acknowledge the existence of God because that will defy his self love. Naturally, they would never seek counsel from anyone since that would mean that they are not the center of the universe. Because of their foolishness, they will surely fail and fall in whatever they pursue.

REFLECTION

  • What does Romans 1:28 say about those who do not acknowledge God?

PROVERBS 9 WISDOM BUILT HER HOUSE AND THROWS A FEAST

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October 2

PROVERBS 9

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her beasts;

she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her young women to call
    from the highest places in the town,
4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    To him who lacks sense she says,
5 “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple waysand live, and walk in the way of insight.”

                                                  – Proverbs 9:1-9

PROVERBS 9 WISDOM BUILT HER HOUSE AND THROWS A FEAST

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Despite, being a woman, wisdom built her house with a great foundation

Then she prepares food and wine to throw a big celebration

She sent out messengers to invite people and share her insights to all

She especially calls the simple and the foolish to partake of what she offers.

It is interesting how Solomon described Wisdom as a woman who built her own house. In our do-it-yourself age, it is not a surprise for a woman to build her house, but in the time of Solomon, it was the men who were responsible to build houses and buildings. Solomon depicts to us an extraordinarily strong woman here. She built her house with many pillars. According to a commentary by Poole, many pillars; whereby is intimated both the beauty and stability of the church. Pillars, prophets and apostles and ministers of holy things, which in Scripture are called pillars as Galatians 2:9 indicates.

Another commentary of Ross says “So just as one would prepare a banquet and invite guests, wisdom prepares to press her appeal. Allthis imagery lets the simpleton know that what wisdom has to offer is marvelous.” Wisdom appeals to the simple and those who lack sense. Will they respond to this invitation and benefit to make their lives better?

REFLECTION

  • Why do you think Wisdom prepared a big banquet and invited those who are simple and without sense instead of those who already are full of insights?
  • Why do you think some people stay blind and not want to have wisdom?