Community

10/1/15

S: 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

O: This verse has been quoted in modern English many times to mean that our personal bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. That's not what the Greek says, apparently. "Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν" I don't know Greek, but I'm told by people who know Greek that the "you" here is plural Even the King James Version, which was translated from the Greek back before English lost the ability to distinguish between the singular and plural second pronoun, says "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" -- Note that it says "ye are the temple of God" and "dwelleth in you" (plural) not "thou art the temple of God" and "dwelleth in thee" (singular). This is also clear in the Chinese translation " 难道你们不知道自己是上帝的殿宇吗？不知道上帝的灵生活在你们心中吗？" "你们" is plural you. German "Denkt also daran, dass ihr Gottes Tempel seid und dass Gottes Geist in euch wohnt!" "Ihr" is plural.

That means that I am not the temple of the Holy Spirit. We in community are the temple of the Holy Spirit (and the Father, and the Son.)

There is a stream within modern Christian thought that "Me, the Bible and Jesus" is all that is necessary. I have heard it said so many times by sincere Christians "You are the temple of the Holy Spirit!" meaning you, singular.

But even aside from this verse, Hebrews 10:24-25 points out "And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near."

The word "church" itself is a translation of εκκλησία, which I am told, meant "gathering" or "assembly" in Koine Greek. (That's the dialect of Greek that the New Testament was written in.)

A: We are not meant to be lone ranger Christians. We need each other. We need the positive peer pressure, and when two or three are gathered in Jesus' name, then He is with us (Matthew 18:20) Let us not neglect meeting together regularly, encouraging one another to love and good deeds! (Hebrews 10:24-25)

P: Father, when we feel like our church is not "feeding" us, when we feel "tired of going to church" remind us to look for ways to improve it rather than to run away and be lone ranger Christians. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

The world is dangerous... but don't worry! Why?

27/12/14

S: John 167:32-33 “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

O: Christians are being persecuted all over the world today. Today, Saeed Abedini sits in an Iranian prison because of his faith in Jesus. He made a cross out of paper and put it on his cell wall, but his jailors made him take it down. In solidarity, Brant Hansen is urging people to make a paper cross and put it on their Christmas tree to remind us to pray for him and to encourage him and his family.

In Syria and Iraq, Daesh has killed many Christians and chased the rest out of the territory it controls. In Nigeria, Boko Haram continues to kill Christians and even Muslims who are not for their murderous agenda. In Somalia and Kenya, it is Al-Shabaab.

Even here at home in Malaysia, Perkasa, Isma and even the government has threatened Christians, banned the Malay and Iban Bible, told Muslims that they're sinning if they wish us Merry Christmas, etc. Nowhere close to being as bad as Al-Shabbab, Boko Haram and Daesh, of course. But Christians feel the threats.

Hebrews 11 has a list of Old Testament saints who suffered much for their faith, saying “the world was not worthy of them.” In the New Testament, we have a huge long list of martyrs. from ancient times till today.

Yet, Jesus told us from the beginning, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” But he also immediately followed it up with “But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

As I wrote about 2 life journal entries ago, if we are in Christ, we have no longer any need to fear death. That's why Paul could say, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

A: So, as we face this world that of great evil and great danger, we can rest assured that

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- Romans 8:31-39

P: Father, when we feel afraid or anxious because the evil in this world, remind us of this truth. Keep us faithful and on Your path. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

Why Jesus came

20/12/14

S: John 11:21-27 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

O: As we come close to Christmas, people are focused on the baby Jesus. But the reason we celebrate the birth of Jesus was because of what He came to do: die to pay for our sins, and in doing so, conquer death. That is why He is the resurrection and the life, so that everyone who believes in Him will live, even if he dies.

A: So even as we celebrate Advent, let us remember why He came. Let us live in light of that wonderful fact:

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

P: Father, thank You for the Greatest Gift! May we live our lives in appreciation, sharing Your love with the world. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

O death, where is thy sting?

12/12/14

S: Luke 12:4-7 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”

O: Most people fear death, even people who know the wonderful secret:

⁵¹ But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! ⁵² It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. ⁵³ For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

⁵⁴ Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

⁵⁶ For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. ⁵⁷ But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

I used to say, “I'm not afraid of death, though I might be afraid of the pain of dying.” Now that I am a father with young children, I am concerned for their well-being if something should happen to me before they get old enough to look after themselves. As Rich Mullins once said, “That’s one of the things I love about being single, everybody always goes ‘Oh, you’re single what a tragedy.’ And I go ‘Well, yeah, from about ten to two each evening it is a tragedy but that times a tragedy for most married people as well.’ One of the great advantages of being single is you can still pick up hitch hikers, if you are married you don’t want to get, you know, slit or anything, cause you have a family to support. If you single and you die it doesn’t really matter so you are free to do what you really want to do. I love that!”

But the principle remains. If we are in Christ, we should not fear death.

²⁰ For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. ²¹ For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. ²² But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. ²³ I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. ²⁴ But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

Philippians 1:20-24

No wonder the early church had to teach that suicide was a sin! But the point is, if you're trusting in Christ, you have no reason to fear death.

A: Therefore, we should live for Christ. Let's use our life as an opportunity to serve God and other people. Let us be brave in the face of danger for the sake of others and for the Gospel. And let us flee temptation, humble ourselves before God, and resist the devil.

P: Father, help me to live bravely for You. I need to daily flee temptation, humble myself before You and resist the devil. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

Reason to rejoice

29/11/14

S: Luke 10:1, 17-20 The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. ... When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

O: We as human beings like to have power and authority, so when the 72 disciples saw that they had power & authority over demons, they were understandably happy about it. But Jesus put things in perspective. Power and authority is temporal. God's gift of salvation is eternal.

A: In response to God's amazing grace — His undeserved favour to us — in appreciation, we are motivated to follow Him — all the more so since following His directives for us benefits us in the long run.

P: Father, when I am tempted to do what is wrong, remind me of this. Not by might, not by power, but by Your Spirit, O Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

His body broken for us. His blood poured out for us.

22/11/14

S: Mark 14:22-25 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

Mark 14:34-36 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

O: In the Old Testament, there are regular animal sacrifices to atone for sins. An year-old (i.e. young adult) male sheep with no defects would be slaughtered, the blood poured out as an offering to God, and the body burnt on the altar. A part of it would be eaten.

This prefigures the ultimate sacrifice that the Messiah Jesus would make on the cross.

Before he went to the cross, he instituted what we now call Holy Communion or Eucharist. He took the bread and wine at the passover supper and, in some mystical way, it became his body and blood, broken and poured out for us, for our sins. What a great sacrifice he made for us! (For a discussion about this matter in more detail, see http://ianjuliane.blogspot.com/2011/02/and-now-for-something-completely.html and http://ianlifejournal.blogspot.com/2011/07/god-gives-grace_13.html)

It was not easy for Jesus to do this for us, as we read in Mark 14:34-36. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, so his humanity dreaded the horrible death on the cross. But nonetheless, he went ahead with it for our sake.

A: Christ's great sacrifice for us should motivate me to live for him. Yet time and time again I give in to temptation and sin. Yet God's grace through Christ's sacrifice means that there is room for repentance.

So, when I am tempted, I must remind myself what Christ has done for me. And if I do sin, I must repent and turn back to him, because he has provided a sacrifice for my sins.

P: Father in heaven, thank you for your provision. Jesus, thank you for your great sacrifice. Holy Spirit, thank you for quickening my conscience when I am tempted. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)

We are family!

8/11/14

S: Mark 3:31-35 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.” Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

O: I used to think, "How rude of Jesus! His family came to see him and he ignored them" before the Jesus film pointed it out to me that it's quite likely that he took the opportunity to make this a teaching moment before he got up to go see his family.

Given that, what was Jesus trying to teach here? Our family is no longer only our biological family. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are also our family. That's why the early Christians started the tradition of calling each other brother and sister, to the point that the Romans, when persecuting Christians, accused us of incest — because they misunderstood when a "brother" and a "sister" were husband and wife.

A: Being family, we ought to love one another and help one another like family should. "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." (I Corinthians 12:26)

P: That's why the early Christians in Jerusalem lived communally like a family and shared everything. (Acts 2:44-45, Acts 4:32-37) Of course, as the body of believers grew, this became impractical. They had to deal with the fact that there would be people who sought to take advantage of the system (Acts 5:1-11) and just the fact that with a large number of people, someone could fall through the cracks (Acts 6:1-7) However, the spirit of all of us being adopted into God's family remained and the idea that we should look out for each other like family remained, e.g. believers outside Judea gathering money to support the believers in Judea due to the famine. (1 Corinthians 16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 8:1–9:15; Romans 15:14–32)

So, we should likewise not only be concerned for ourselves and our own biological family, but also for our brothers & sisters in Christ. "If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad." (1 Corinthians 12:26).

P: Father, help me to be sensitive to the needs of others and not just be concerned for myself. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Note: this is using the SOAP method. For more information, see this page (not written by me.)