Day 6
God's grace is something that those who open their heart by humbling themselves before God can experience more. Being humble before God is only possible by faith. Therefore, people with faith can humble themselves before God and do what God wants them to do. By obeying God in our service, prayers, and humility, I believe, we can grow stronger and wiser in God's love as well. May God's blessings be with you all during this weekend.
How to do your Personal Bible Study
(1) Begin your Personal Bible Study with prayer
(2) Ask God for God’s wisdom and spiritual guidance
(3) Read the scripture
(4) Pray, giving thanks to God for what your heart is touched by the scripture
(5) Read the Personal Bible Study
(6) Finish with the Lord’s Prayer.
When you pray, pray in the name of Jesus Christ as (1) Jesus Christ is God’s divine way for our salvation: Mediator, Savior, Lord, and Christ, as (2) God has given us the name, Jesus Christ, for our salvation (Acts 4:2), as (3) Jesus is God, and as (4) Jesus helps us through the Spirit of God in our prayers (Romans 8:26)
I Corinthians 2:6-16
The wisdom that Paul shares
There are different wisdoms: wisdom of the world, wisdom of the rulers of this age and wisdom of God.
The worldly wisdom doesn’t give us God’s promise (6)
The wisdom that the believers should have and want are not the wisdom of the world nor the wisdom of the rulers of this age. Believers want to remember that the worldly wisdom doesn’t lead them to God’s kingdom. Rather, they may be tempted and in trouble more. The wisdom of God is the wisdom in which the Spirit of God works for us. The wisdom of God makes us know who we are before God and before people so that it makes us humble ourselves no matter what. That is why there is power in this wisdom of God and that is why it is our blessings if we have the wisdom of God.
How can you know if you are living by the wisdom of God?
The wisdom of God has been hidden (7)
It is now exposed by the will of God for believers. It is not the wisdom that people can have by their understanding, knowledge, experience, or power. It is not the wisdom that we can obtain by our efforts or give to others as we desires. It is God’s grace that the wisdom of God is revealed to all. It doesn’t always mean that people who hear about it can have or experience it. It is revealed by the grace of God and in the grace of God can be understood by people. Only those who have faith can understand the wisdom of God. In this sense, it is still hidden while it is revealed to the world.
How do you understand the wisdom of God? Is it hidden to you? Why not? How can you explain that the wisdom of God is revealed to you?
The wisdom of God is for us (7)
God prepared this wisdom even before God created the whole world.“ God destined for our glory before time began” (v. 7). It is “what God has prepared for those who love him” (v. 9). If we have the wisdom of God, we can know the thoughts of God (v. 11). The wisdom of God will help us understand “what God has freely given us” (v. 12). Even our sharing in this time is by the wisdom of God through the work of the Spirit of God (v. 13). The wisdom of God helps “accept the things that come from the Spirit of God” (v. 14), even if those look foolish to the people in the world.
God is love.God’s love is for all. The wisdom of God is revealed to all. How do you experience God’s wisdom? How do you reveal your confidence of having the wisdom of God?
Day 5
Living a spiritual life is not to show how to live to others. Rather it is a sincere and pious life before God as the believers do their best to please God by their obedience, humility, love and forgiveness for the glory of God. Having lots of books doesn't always means the owner of the book are wiser than others. There are too many good resources for our spiritual growth in this world such as books, trainings, bible studies, Sunday schools, messages in radio, TV, internet, phone applications in smart phones, etc. Living in a world of overflowing resources for our personal pious spiritual time in this world, having one more will not be much helpful. But, we want to do more anyway because we want to grow in spirit and faith. And there are too many fake news which makes us see things in wrong way. Faith is not about what others do. Rather it is personal. The Bible says, when we pray, we want to pray in a isolated place where we can meet God. How do you meet your God today?
How to do your Personal Bible Study
(1) Begin your Personal Bible Study with prayer (2) Ask God for God’s wisdom and spiritual guidance (3) Read the scripture (4) Pray, giving thanks to God for what your heart is touched by the scripture (5) Read the Personal Bible Study (6) Finish with the Lord’s Prayer.
When you pray, pray in the name of Jesus Christ as (1) Jesus Christ is God’s divine way for our salvation: Mediator, Savior, Lord, and Christ, as (2) God has given us the name, Jesus Christ, for our salvation (Acts 4:2), as (3) Jesus is God, and as (4) Jesus helps us through the Spirit of God in our prayers (Romans 8:26)
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
The principle of evangelism
We can learn from the apostle Paul about how we can evangelize and how we can be God’s witnesses in this world.
Paul did not do with eloquence or superior wisdom (1)
When we share God’s good news, we can use all we have. But it is not about our eloquence or superior wisdom. If we think we can do better in our sharing God’s good news to the world with eloquence and superior wisdom, we can find better people in this world always and we can depend on their ability and talents. God’s good news is not about our understanding. It is not about worldly things or human power. It is godly things that we need God’s holy power and divine interruption. Depending on human talents and ability for our spiritual and faithful work is not godly way. If we cannot do what God wants us to do because of lack of money, lack of power, lack of people and lack of something, we better find right way in our repentance and prayers.
Who and what are you depending on your spiritual evangelism?
Paul depended on the Holy Spirit (4)
It is our tendency to depend on our worldly things. Paul, when he was Saul, depended on his knowledge, power, connections, background, his worldly yet religious passions, etc., but he was professing that he “was not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power”(v. 4).
Are you listening to the Spirit of God in your living? How do you live with the guidance of the Holy Spirit? What is your experience of the work of the Spirit of God for sharing God’s words with others?
Paul depended on God’s power (5)
Apostle Paul relied on the Spirit of God in his obedience and service. He listened to the voice of the Spirit of God. Real Evangelism is by the work of the Spirit of God. If we have something new without prayers, we need to pray more not to be tempted by what we see and have. God uses those who pray as the prayers humble themselves before God even for evangelism. Paul’s evangelism has his godly humility, his spiritual obedience and experiences of God’s power. He could use all he used to have in his evangelism. But he says in Philippians 3:4-7 “though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else things he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider LOSS for the sake of Christ.”
What / Who do we depend on in our living, in our faith, and in our serving?
Loving God, thank you for everything! Amen.
Day 4
I Corinthians 1:26-31
Boast in the Lord
The light of the world cannot be hidden from the world of darkness. Light should shine and it can be seen and noticed. Faith is the light of the world. It should be seen and noticed. Even if you don’t do anything special, the light of the world will shine.
1. God chose the foolish things of the world(27)
The foolish things of the world means things that people in the world don’t pay attention and don’t pay for it. It is abandoned and isolated. It is ignored and badly treated. Yes, it is understood by the world as nothing and nothing. But, in God, there is nothing nothing. Everything is something in God as God created everything in God’s will and desires. In God, we all are sinners and not righteous. In God, we all don’t deserve God’s calling, grace, love and promise. It should be, therefore, our honor and glory to be used by God. To work for the glory of God is, therefore, our honor. To be part of God’s work should be, therefore, our opportunity to experience God’s love and grace.
God chooses the foolish things of the world for God’s work and tasks. Are we the foolish things of the world? If we are the foolish things of the world, why are we foolish things of the world? What do you do to be the foolish things of the world? How should to treat others if you are the foolish things of the world?
2. God chose the weak things of the world (27)
The weak are the weak in health, power, relations, education, wisdom, money, influence, and so on and so forth. God knows who we are before God even if we often don’t know who we are before God. People in the world depend on what they have: their money, power, education, experience, relations etc. If we live like people in this world, it means we are following them. If we are following their ways of life, we cannot be chosen by God for God’s glory. God chose the weak things of the world for the glory of God.
Are you depending on God for everything? Is your God your Savior and Lord? How do you respond to God’s words in your daily living? Is your God reasonable to you? If not, why? If yes, why? How do you want to respond to COVID-19 in your faith? Is your way of responding to COVID-19 spiritual? Why? Or why not? Verse 30 reads, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” How do you understand this verse in terms of your life for today?
God’s love will be seen, experienced and noticed by people. God works no matter what. It is our blessings that God is our living and loving God who is watching over us and listening to us. It is our blessings in our humility to be chosen by God for the glory of God. We want to live for the glory of God and use everything we have for the glory of God.