May 25

JAMES 3

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ² For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. ³ If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴ Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶ And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. ⁷ For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰ From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. ¹¹ Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹² Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. – James 3:1-12

JAMES 3 CONTROL YOUR TONGUE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The tongue is a part of your being that can stain your entire body

Even if it is very small it can build up or totally destroy anybody

If you do not control your tongue, you will be led to destruction

And it can destroy another person’s character or reputation

If you do not rend it, it will spew out wicked things to say

If you keep it silent, you can filter it and keep it at bay

Submit to God’s laws and words and you can control it

Cater to your own cravings and it will creep in your lips.

In this letter of James to the church, he gives a detailed description of the power of the tongue. Despite its small size, it is very commanding and powerful. There are many bible verses that talks about the power of the tongue in the book of Proverbs such as verses 18:21, 18:7-8, 21:19,25:23 but the most detailed description of the authority of the tongue is explained in the book of James in these following verses. He gives us a sketch of the tongue’s origin which is from hell in verse 6. It is described as a restless evil in verse 8 which is full of deadly poison and untameable. He likens the tongue to a rudder of a ship in verse 4 that causes the ship’s direction. Without controlling the rudder, it will fail to go to its destination. He also likens it to a fire that could be a small start but could set ablaze a whole forest. James further describes how evil the tongue is because it can praise God and also destroy the image bearers of God when it attacks another person with slander and gossip. Just one statement that could doubt the identity of another individual could lead to another person’s ruin.

REFLECTION

• Share insights how the tongue ruined another person’s life and reputation.

May 24

ROMANS 8

¹² So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. – Romans 8:12-21

ROMANS 8 LIVE BY THE SPIRIT TO HAVE SELF-CONTROL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If you follow your own will, you will be living according to the flesh

There is a consequence if you cater and live to pleasure yourself

You will be facing conflicts and get angry when others don’t give in

Each time the flesh doesn’t gets its way, it will plot and scheme to sin

If you live by the Spirit of God, you will find peace and be self-controlled

You will not be bothered when others shine because you feel so secure

It is God who brings life to those who follow the lead of his Spirit

It is the devil who steals, kills and destroys and leads you to death.

Psalm 1 gives us a clear picture of the two opposing kingdoms here on earth. One that belongs to the righteous and the other that belongs to the wicked. Notice that Paul talks about two choices we have in living our lives: walking in the flesh or walking in the Spirit. One leads to life and the other leads to death.

We can say that the blessed that David was referring to in Psalm 1 are those who walk in the Spirit. They do not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seats of scoffers but his delight is in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night.  The blessed ones or those walking in the Spirit are like trees planted by streams of water which yield fruits in its season and their leaves don’t wither. They prosper in all that they do. The second group of people are those who walk in the flesh and are likened in Psalm 1 to chaff that the wind drives away. They don’t stand in judgment, nor sinners in the midst of the righteous. The wicked will perish just like how Paul describes in this account that they will die.

Paul reminds the Christians that since they are now adopted in the family of God, they no longer have to live for the flesh but to follow the lead of the Spirit which brings life. Only by choosing to walk with God’s Spirit can we enjoy the fruit of a self-controlled life, otherwise, we will always cater to the flesh.

REFLECTION

·       What does a self-controlled life look like as compared to a hedonistic life?

May 23

ROMANS 12

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. – Romans 12:1-8

ROMANS 12 SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When we were chosen to be children of God

We were equipped with all that we need to grow

We were given the word of God so we can have a guide

It is a set of instructions to make us see and follow the light

We do not need to conform to all the systems of this world

Instead, we need to be changed by the renewal of our minds

Let us discipline our bodies, hearts, minds, souls and spirits

Let us cling to what is true, what is pure and what is right.

Paul reminds the church about the importance of spiritual discipline in this letter to the Romans. I am sure that even at that time in history, many people focus more on physical training rather than think of the mental and spiritual aspects of life. After all, the Greeks at that time were very concerned with their physical and strength training as they competed in many athletic endeavors. They began the Olympics, always aiming for being the best in their chosen field. Even in our world today, many men and women invest in gym memberships and are conscious about nutrition to keep their bodies in optimum health but neglect the mental and spiritual part of their being. I am not saying that priorities on the physical biological features of their bodies are not important, but in many cases, people neglect the mental and spiritual disciplines needed to live fuller lives.

Paul emphasizes the importance of spiritual discipline in this letter because the unseen parts of our being are usually neglected or forgotten. What many people don’t realize is that if our minds and hearts are not synchronized with God’s design for it, we will surely fail in living a life for the Lord. This is why Paul advises Christians not to conform with the world because it doesn’t account for the mind and spirit.

REFLECTION

·       Share some spiritual disciplines that you follow that have worked for you as a Christian.

May 20

ISAIAH 53

⁷ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

  yet he opened not his mouth;
  like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

  and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

  so he opened not his mouth.
⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

  and as for his generation, who considered
  that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
  stricken for the transgression of my people?

⁹ And they made his grave with the wicked
    and with a rich man in his death,
    although he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth. – Isaiah 53:7-9

ISAIAH 53 TOTAL SELF-CONTROL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Like a lamb led to be killed and a sheep before its shearers

Jesus didn’t react or opened his mouth before his abusers

Though he was oppressed, laughed at, tortured and mocked

He didn’t wince or complain but obeyed the will of God

Christ bore all the pain and suffering and had total self-control

Let us emulate his example of silence and learn to be humble.

This verse reminded me of someone I knew in my twenties. I couldn’t understand then why he never fought for his rights and allowed people to minimize him. He never reacted to all those who abused him. At that young age, I was taught to always fight for my rights and speak up when I am being mistreated. The trauma of not being cared for also made me fight back and never allowed anyone to oppress or misjudge me. I wasn’t a Christian until in my late fifties, so I didn’t know the concept of humility and total self-control.  The first time I read and studied these verses from Isaiah, I began to hear the Holy Spirit’s conviction on my tendencies to defend and protect myself.

As I studied Psalm 3:3 which says “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head,” and this verse in Isaiah, I began to see how proud and arrogant I was. I didn’t know God that much at all. Because of trauma and not having someone defend me, I learned to take matters into my hands.

When I became a Christian, the Spirit began humbling me and corrected my tendency to automatically defend myself. I saw how I was following the patterns of the world system rather than the kingdom of God. The world won’t understand how Jesus left everything to his Father’s hands. It doesn’t understand humility and surrender. It is normal to defend oneself in this world system and be dysregulated.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think humility and silence are crucial to have total self-control as Jesus sampled?

May 18

PROVERBS 23

¹⁹ Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.
²⁰ Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat,
²¹ for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
     and slumber will clothe them with rags.

²² Listen to your father who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.
²³ Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
²⁴ The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;

    he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
²⁵ Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.

²⁶ My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observemy ways.

                                                                             – Proverbs 23:19-26

PROVERBS 23 DIRECT YOUR HEART IN THE WAY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

To all believers, direct your heart in the way of the Lord

If you fail to focus on him, you will be overcome by this world

Study and meditate on his word day and night to discern evil

Be watchful for the devil’s purpose is to destroy, kill and steal

Listen to your father and mother whom God has given you

It is a way of honoring me when you heed their instructions

Do not associate with drunkards and gluttons; they’re bad influence

Stay pure and don’t fail to meet with the communion of saints

Always seek the truth and never compromise it with hedonism

Stand on God’s promises so you won’t be enticed by false teachings.

Solomon emphasizes in these verses the importance of focusing our hearts, minds and souls to the right way. When we remove our attention on the Lord and his word, we become targets to the enemy to devour. It doesn’t need to be big distractions; it could be little things that will remove our eyes on Jesus. An intrusive thought could begin to make us doubt our abilities or the truth. A visual or auditory stimuli can derail us from our time with God as we get dysregulated by such stimuli. When we don’t prioritize God moment by moment, we will be catering to our flesh. This is why the bible calls us to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. We are also called to seek first God’s kingdom and whatever you ask will be given unto you. I find myself spun and dysregulated when I entertain all these distractions instead of pressing on to focus on God’s word. My time gets stolen and I become unproductive for God.

Solomon also stresses the importance of obedience to our parents since they were assigned to us by God as authorities. He also warns us to choose our company well so that we don’t lose self-control.

REFLECTION

·       How do you direct your life in the way of the Lord and why is it important to do it constantly?

May 17

HOSEA 4

⁷ The more they increased, the more they sinned against me;

I will change their glory into shame.⁸ They feed on the sin of my people;

they are greedy for their iniquity.⁹ And it shall be like people, like priest;

I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
¹⁰ They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply,
because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish ¹¹ whoredom, wine, and new wine,
which take away the understanding.¹² My people inquire of a piece of wood,

and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, 

and they have left their God to play the whore. – Hosea 4:7-12

HOSEA 4 IDOLATRY LEADS TO DEBAUCHERY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you turn away from God, you are turning to other idols

Some of these idols could be anything that heightens desires

It could be wine, whoredom, any object, or any substance

It could even be a loved one, work or anything you love much

The path of the selfish is the one that leads to debauchery

While the path of the wise and faithful leads to eternity

The spirit of whoredom will definitely lead you to be lost

While the Holy Spirit leads you to the Lord of lords.

This account of Hosea is God’s response to the ungratefulness of the Israelites. Despite God’s faithfulness in showering them with many blessings, they reciprocated with much idolatry. Instead of staying grateful and loyal to God for all his provisions for them, they abused it and misused and desecrated what God meant holy. They turned their backs on the Lord himself and worshipped other pagan gods. Even the priests who were supposed to be the examples of purity have defiled themselves by consuming what they were not allowed. According to Constable’s commentary “Israel’s priests were feeding on the sin offerings that the people brought to their pagan shrines. Yet since these offerings were to idols it was as though the priests really fed on the people’s sins. The priests desired these offerings, which meant they wanted the people to practice idolatry so they would bring more sacrifices.” Isn’t that a disgrace to God? They were stewards to bring the people to purity and they actually defile their calling.

It is easy to bow down to anything instead of giving God glory, but Hosea’s account gives us a picture of how God reacts to unfaithfulness. He calls it whoredom. It is prostituting our faith and yoking with other little gods that compete with the only One true God. In our world today, idolatry could be very covertly hidden in the things we love like family, spouse, career, food, alcohol, drugs, sex and even hobbies that look good on the surface but consume us. Idolatry always leads to debauchery. Be watchful.

REFLECTION

• Why do we need to be vigilant to identify what kinds of idols we are tempted to bow down to?

May 13

 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19

¹² “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. ¹³ “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. ¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ Or do you not know that he who is joinedto a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” ¹⁷ But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. ¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. ¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

1 CORINTHIANS 6 HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Those who are in Christ Jesus are expected to mature their faith

When the Spirit indwelled us, we became temples of the Lord

We no longer are driven by our appetites but by righteousness

We are careful to keep away from sin and honor God with our bodies

Jesus died on the cross for us so we are not in bondage to sin anymore

We are not to use our bodies for our own cravings and our own pleasures

But we are all called to live for the purpose of glorifying the Almighty God

Let us keep ourselves undefiled and keep our bodies holy and pure.

It is interesting how Paul believed that not all lawful things are not helpful. Remember that the Jews created 613 laws out of the ten commandments given to Moses by God. Paul was a Jew and a Roman as well but he wasn’t a Christian. In fact, in his former life, he persecuted Christians until God called him into his fold. Being Jewish and a Pharisee, we are inclined to believe that he was a law keeper, but when he turned to Jesus, he now lives under the grace of God and no longer under the law (Romans 6:14).

In this letter to the church in Corinth, Paul reminds the believers that their bodies no longer belong to them but to the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the cross, the Holy Spirit was indwelled to every believer which makes them the temples of God. What does this mean? It means that they are no longer slaves to their flesh and their sinful inclinations, but are now meant to use their bodies to bring glory to God. He clearly discusses what that looks like now that they are Christians. He tackles food and sexual appetites that are meant to be given up since they no longer are slaves to their cravings and desires, but are now called to righteousness and purity. In verse 14, Paul emphasized that their bodies are now members of Christ, so they have to watch out that they do not yoke with ungodly things so that the body won’t be defiled. They need to discipline themselves and tame their bodies to serve God alone.

REFLECTION

• What does it look like when we do not honor our bodies and give God glory with it?